On 24 October, at 14:55 Icelandic time, women across Iceland walked off the job in protest the gender wage gap and other issues that specifically affect women in Iceland. The first Women ‘s day was in 1975 when thousands of women in Iceland protested their wages and walked out of their workplaces. This was the sixth-time women in Iceland walked out to protest the wage gap between men and women that still exist in Iceland.
Even though Iceland is the country at the top of the list when it comes to equality, the average wage of women in Iceland is only 74% of the average wage of men.
At the meeting yesterday, special focus was put on women of foreign origin, who are in an especially vulnerable position in Icelandic society. Thousands of people gathered in Reykjavík yesterday, mostly women but also many men, to claim the importance of equal pay in Iceland and safety for women at their workplace.
Social workers in Iceland is one of the professions that know all too well how wages of women are held back, despite the importance and responsibility of their work. Encouraging women to participate in the labour market is vital to ensure economic growth and social inclusion. We must continue to fight the gender wage gap so that there will be true equality in Iceland and all around the world!