Iceland PM to join thousands of women for 'Kvennafrí', a strike for gender equality
Katrín Jakobsdóttir
Women across Iceland, along with the nation's Prime Minister, on Tuesday (Oct24) will go on a strike.The huge strike is part of a campaign pushing for gender equality in the nation.
A show of solidarity
Talking to Iceland Monitor, Katrín Jakobsdóttir, Iceland's Prime Minister, announced she will not work on the strike day. She also said that she expects other female government members to do the same "in solidarity with Icelandic women".
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"As you know, 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. We are still tackling gender-based violence, which has been a priority for my government to tackle," said Jakobsdóttir, as quoted by CNN.
A strike for rights
This is only the seventh time the Nordic nation will be holding a strike called "Kvennafrí" or "Women's Day Off", whichraises awareness about the "systemic" age discrimination and gender-based violence faced by women in Iceland.
The first such strike was held 48 years ago on October 24, 1975. Back then, as per reports, around 90 per cent of women refused to work.
Icelandic women participate in Kvennafrí, 24th October 1975 (Image credit: Nupel/X)
"On 24 October, all women in Iceland, including immigrant women, are encouraged to stop work, both paid and unpaid. For the whole day, women (and non-binary people) will strike, to demonstrate the importance of their contribution to society," wrote the organiser on its website.
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The Tuesday strike is the first full day of action and, as per Nupel, at least 25 thousand people are expected to attend an event in the Reykjavik city centre, with many more participating in 10 events held across Iceland.
Organisers are using Tuesday's Kvennafrí to draw attention to the plight of immigrant women whose contribution to Iceland's society is "rarely acknowledged or reflected in the wages they receive". They have called on men to take up extra responsibility at home and work, as a way of showing their support for the striking women.
(With inputs from agencies)
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