Advertisement
Living

6 reasons Iceland is the best place to be a woman right now

Iceland: the land of Bjork, black sand beaches, 30 new female MPs and thousands of women fighting for pay equity.
Birgitta Jonsdottir of the Pirate party (Pirater) reacts after the first results in Reykjavik, Iceland, Saturday, Oct. 29, 2016. Parliamentary elections were held in Iceland on Saturday, with more than 250,000 voters entitled to elect 63 members of the Althing parliament. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein) Birgitta Jonsdottir of the Pirate party (Pirater) reacts after the first Parliamentary election results in Reykjavik, Iceland. Photo, AP Photo/Frank Augstein.

Since the ash from that unpronounceable volcano cleared in 2010, Iceland's tourism has risen by an astonishing 31 percent, thanks in part to cheap layover flight deals and the popularity of Game of Thrones. But the Nordic Island's real power lies in promoting equality in government and every day life. As the rest of the world talks endlessly about fairness between the sexes, Iceland is getting things done. Here are six recent news stories that prove Iceland is one of the most gender-progressive places on the planet.

1. Iceland will be the first country to require that companies prove they're paying men and women equally

Trust Iceland to straight-up demand accountability measures on pay equity. The government announced Wednesday — International Women's Day — that it will introduce legislation requiring all employers with more than 25 staff to obtain certification which confirms they're giving men and women equal pay for equal work. This will make them the first nation to require certification for both public and private employers.

2. Women now make up nearly half of Iceland's Parliament

In October's national election, women won 30 of the Parliament's 63 seats, making Iceland's government one of the most equal in the world.

3. A Nordic beauty queen refused to be body shamed

Advertisement

When Miss Grand International pageant organizers told Arna Ýr Jónsdóttir she'd have a better shot at winning if she ate less, the former national gymnast quit immediately. Not only that, she posted her resignation letter to Instagram, exposing the Las Vegas pageant's body-shaming ways.

Miss Grand International pageant organizers told Iceland contestant Arna Ýr Jónsdóttir to lose weight. She quit and posted her resignation to Instagram. Photo, @arnayr/Instagram.

4.  Thousands of women walked out of work to fight for equal pay

Iceland's pay gap may be half of Canada's (they make about 14 percent less than men, compared to 28 percent here), but women there are determined to close the gap entirely. On Oct. 24, thousands went home from work at 2:38 pm — the moment they began working for "free" in relation to their male counterparts.  The protest is something of an tradition: In 2005, women left work at 2:08 pm and in 2008, 2:25 pm. Seems like it's working.

5. An MP breast fed during debate period

Advertisement

"I either had to tear the baby girl off me and leave her crying with the MP sitting next to me, or just take her with me," said Unnur Brá Konráðsdóttir, chair of Iceland’s parliamentary Judicial Affairs and Education Committee when asked to comment on the infant attached to her breast during a recent immigration debate

Iceland member of Parliament Unnur Brá Konráðsdóttir breast feeding during debate period.

6. Iceland topped the Global Gender Gap Report

For the sixth year in a row, the land of Bjork and black sand beaches ruled the annual World Economic Forum report, which studies gender equality across politics, education, health and the economy in 114 countries. Canada ranked 35th on the same list.

GET CHATELAINE IN YOUR INBOX!

Subscribe to our newsletters for our very best stories, recipes, style and shopping tips, horoscopes and special offers.

By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement