Why are thousands of women, including the Prime Minister of Iceland, on strike?

Iceland, renowned for its exemplary workplace conditions for women, has continuously topped the World Economic Forum’s gender gap index for 14 consecutive years. Nevertheless, the country recently witnessed its most significant women's strike in decades, as women raised banners with the poignant message, “Kallarou þetta jafnretti?” ("You call this equality?").

What happened

• Tens of thousands of Icelandic women, including Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir, joined a nationwide protest on Tuesday (October 24) to combat gender inequality and sexual violence.
• The strike witnessed a mass exodus of women from all forms of paid and unpaid labor, including domestic tasks, for the day.

• Prime Minister Jakobsdóttir herself chose to suspend her official duties and postponed a scheduled cabinet meeting to demonstrate her solidarity with Icelandic women.
• Notably, schools, libraries, and the majority of banks opted to remain closed for the day, with just one bank branch operating in the entire country.
• Even local news coverage faced limitations as many female journalists participated in the strike, affecting the operations of the Icelandic public service broadcaster RÚV.

The reason

Dubbed "Women's Day Off" or "Kvennafrí" in Icelandic, the strike aimed to highlight the persistent wage gap and the prevalence of gender-based violence faced by women in Iceland.

Despite Iceland's global reputation for gender equality, some professions still witness women earning 21% less than their male counterparts, with over 40% of women reporting incidents of gender-based or sexual violence.

Not the first instance

Tuesday's strike marks Iceland's seventh significant demonstration for gender equality in recent history and the first full-day strike since 1975.

In 1975, women across Iceland went on strike to protest gender inequality and demand equal rights, a momentous event that profoundly shaped the country's stance on women's rights and equality.

This recent strike indicates that the fight for gender equality in Iceland continues unabated.

The gender pay gap in India and around the world

• In India, the gender pay gap stands at INR 4,014, with women earning approximately 33% less than men, according to the World Inequality Report 2022.
• The Global Gender Gap (GGG) Index for 2022 ranked India at 135 out of 146 countries.
• Globally, women earn 77 cents for every dollar earned by men, and the International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that women are paid about 20% less than men.

Not so fun fact: At the current rate, it is projected to take 257 years to close the gender pay gap.