Women, including prime minister, go on strike in Iceland for equal pay

In Iceland, a Nordic island country, women are demanding equal pay and no more violence. They are pushing for greater gender equality in the country. Women in the volcanic island nation are demanding an end to inequality. 

According to the World Economic Forum, Iceland has been ranked as the world’s most gender-equal country 14 years in a row. Despite being the world’s most gender-equal country, women are holding strikes, demanding equality in Iceland.

Iceland women’s strike

On Tuesday, women, including Katrín Jakobsdóttir, the Prime Minister of Iceland, went on a strike, demanding an end to unequal pay and gender-based violence. Schools, libraries, shops, banks and Iceland’s swimming pools were closed on Tuesday because of the Iceland women’s strike.

The strike, known as the “Women’s Day Off” or “Kvennafrí” in the country, was organized by women to raise awareness about wage discrimination and gender-based violence in the country. The women are suffering because of a gender pay gap. Women have refused to take on unpaid jobs to voice anger at wage discrimination.

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The Prime Minister of Iceland said, “We have not yet reached our goals of full gender equality and we are still tackling the gender-based wage gap, which is unacceptable in 2023.”

Katrín Jakobsdóttir did not attend her official duties on Tuesday. She also postponed a cabinet meeting originally scheduled for Tuesday. The prime minister said that she wanted to show her solidarity with Icelandic women. 

Female employees in the prime minister’s office also participated in the strike. The female workers said that they were fighting for gender equality. 

Women’s strike was also backed by the Federation of the Public Workers Union in Iceland (BSRB), the Icelandic Nurses’ Association and the Icelandic Association of Women’s Associations.

Guðni Thorlacius Jóhannesson, the President of Iceland, said, “Women in Iceland are striking today, for the 7th time since the famous women’s day off in 1975.”

Women said that their “invaluable” contribution to Icelandic society often goes unnoticed. The lowest-paying jobs, such as cleaning and child care, are also done by women. Women workers in other sectors also earn less compared to their male counterparts.