In Iceland, Women to Stage a Mass Strike for the First Time in Nearly Half a Century

In Iceland, tens of thousands of women and non-binary individuals, including the Prime Minister, are set to cease work on the 25th of October and participate in a nationwide strike.

This information comes from The Guardian.

Women will halt both paid and unpaid work to protest against the gender pay gap. Workers from the fishing industry, teachers, nurses, and even Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir have already confirmed their participation.

It is worth noting that in 1975, 90% of Icelandic women refused to work on "kvennafrí" (Women's Day Off), leading to significant changes. This day is still referred to as "the long Friday" because it completely paralysed the country, highlighting the importance of women's participation in all economic processes.

Despite the changes that have occurred since then and Iceland's status as a global leader in gender equality, women in some professions still earn 21% less than men, and over 40% of women have experienced gender-related issues or sexual violence.

"People talk about us, they talk about Iceland as if it's a paradise of equality," said Freyja Steingrímsdóttir, one of the strike organizers and the Director of Communications for BSRB, the Icelandic Federation of Public Workers. "But in a paradise of equality, there shouldn't be such a wage gap and such a percentage of women facing gender or sexual violence. This is not what women all over the world aspire to."

Women and non-binary individuals across the country are being urged not to perform any paid or unpaid work on Tuesday, including household chores, "to demonstrate the importance of their contribution to society."

Announcing her participation in the event, Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir stated that she expects the Prime Minister's office to cease operations.

"First and foremost, I am expressing solidarity with Icelandic women," she said.

Participants in the strike are calling for the elimination of the gender pay gap by publishing workers' salaries in professions dominated by women and taking actions against gender and sexual violence.

As previously reported by The Gaze, one of Lithuania's education worker unions has announced an indefinite strike, with its members staging demonstrations in Vilnius and walking on foot to the capital from other cities. The Lithuanian Education Workers' Union (LŠDPS) is demanding improved working conditions for teachers.