Iceland’s first full-day women’s strike in 48 years aims to close pay gap
Iceland’s first full-day women’s strike in 48 years aims to close pay gap
PM will take part in stoppage by women and non-binary people calling for pay equality and action on gender-based violence
Organisers hope the women’s strike – whose confirmed participants include fishing industry workers, teachers, nurses and the PM, Katrín Jakobsdóttir – will bring society to a standstill to draw attention to the country’s ongoing gender pay gap and widespread gender-based and sexual violence.
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The first one 48 years ago : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1975_Icelandic_women's_strike
On 24 October 1975, Icelandic women went on strike for the day to "demonstrate the indispensable work of women for Iceland’s economy and society" and to "protest wage discrepancy and unfair employment practices". It was then publicized domestically as Women's Day Off (Kvennafrídagurinn). Participants, led by women's organizations, did not go to their paid jobs and did not do any housework or child-rearing for the whole day. Ninety percent of Iceland's female population participated in the strike. Iceland's parliament passed a law guaranteeing equal pay the following year.
It has apparently become necessary to do it a second time…
Once every 50 years, not too shabby.
Too bad it becomes much harder to coordinate such strikes in larger nations, they would otherwise be extremely effective. No country could withstand half its population going on strike.