Iceland Marks 50 Years Since Landmark Women's Strike

Iceland is marking the 50th anniversary of the landmark "Women's Day Off" strike, a protest that helped launch a global movement for gender equality, with another women's strike. On October 24, 1975, 90% of Icelandic women stopped work, both paid and unpaid, drawing 25,000 to Reykjavik's streets and paving the way for the world's first democratically elected female president, Vigdis Finnbogadottir, five years later, the Guardian reports. The legacy of that strike is clear: Iceland is now the only country to have closed more than 90% of the gender pay gap, according to the World Economic Forum, and women currently hold every major national leadership post, from president to police chief.

President Halla Tomasdottir, who won office in 2023 in an election where 75% of votes went to female candidates, tells the Guardian that Iceland is "powered by two sustainable energies: geothermal power and girl power," but there is still work to be done. She points to ongoing challenges, including gender-based violence and low wages in care-related jobs. She also warns of a global backlash against feminism and says Iceland is not immune to "red flags." On Friday, women were encouraged to stop work for the strike and celebrations in Reykjavik, where women and non-binary people retraced the original protest's route and gathered for music and speeches. RUV, Iceland's national broadcaster, reports that more than 50,000 people, an eighth of the country's population, were at the rally.

Tomasdottir argues that future progress will require greater involvement from men and boys. "There is a general recognition in Iceland that closing the gender gap is a strategic priority for this country and it has delivered a better world for all of us," the president says. There is a protest every year on the anniversary of the strike. The last full-day strike was in 2023.

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At Friday's rally, union chief Marta Olof Jonsdottir said, "Today we thank the brave women who paved the way and we strengthen the bonds of sisterhood for the continued struggle, for full equality, and for a better society," per RUV. She said 40% of women experience gender-based violence at some point and women's jobs are still undervalued. "How is it that we still have to show up after 50 years of struggle?" she asked.