Thanks to Diane at DED Space, for the reminder to follow up on a previous post about the Icelandic women's strike for equality.
So many women participated that Icelandic workplaces were paralyzed!
ICELAND: Women began the working week by abandoning their offices, classrooms and kitchens to join a remarkable strike for equal wages. Marching through Reykjavik and other Icelandic towns, they banged pots and pans and shouted, "Women, let's be loud!" and "Equality now!"
The 50,000 protesters included actresses, politicians, fish factory workers, teachers and diplomatic staff. Embassies ground to a halt, as did the banks, government departments, most shops and kindergartens.
The real story, from my standpoint, is that in so many ways, women in Iceland have it far better than do women in the U.S. But then, here in the U.S., we're just trying to survive the punitive backlash from that last big feminist wave. And with the delusional rightwing cowboy in charge, surviving is a real challenge.
When Icelandic women think of equality, they think of countries like Sweden and Norway. They certainly don't think of the U.S.
Like other Nordic states, Iceland prides itself on promoting sexual equality. A generous welfare state funds kindergarten places so that women, who often end up being the ones who stay at home with the children, can return to work.
Women hold 33 per cent of seats in parliament, versus five per cent in 1975, and 80 per cent of women are now in work, up from 50 per cent.
Iceland also had a woman president, Vigdis Finnbogadottir, between 1980 and 1996.
But while the situation of women has improved since the 1975 strike, which was to highlight World Women Day, the organisers say it is still not good enough. They cited low pay in female-dominated professions like nursing.
The Icelandic parliament was closed because of the protest meetings about gender inequality and Hotel Nordica, where Nordic and Baltic politicians were gathered for the annual Session of the Nordic Council, also felt the effects of the women’s strike.
Can you imagine the U.S. Congress closing because of meetings about gender inequality? Like Tom Delay and Bill Frist will ever have a clue or give a damn in their lifetimes.
In the U.S., women are 15% of Congress. At this excruciatingly slow rate of progress, I seriously doubt if we will ever catch up with the women of Iceland. I mean by the time we are 33% (assuming it ever happens), they will be well over 50%. A generous welfare state? As in family support policies, such as paid maternity leave, universal childcare and healthcare? Obviously, we are not even close to demanding it, let alone winning it.
Icelandic women earn 72 cents to the male dollar. That's four cents less than women in the U.S. earn. But once you factor in a generous welfare state, women in America come out way behind.
Here's a partial list of the reasons Icelandic women went on strike - and, yes, it looks familiar:
Women’s salary in Iceland is only 64,15% of men’s
Women get 72% of men’s salary for working the same number of hours
One out of three women becomes a victim of gender related violence in her lifetime
Jobs involving caretaking are among the lowest paying jobs in the job market
Women’s voice is still not loud enough in the media
Women’s bodies are treated as merchandise
A woman has never been prime minister, bank manager or bishop
Women have never occupied half the seats in parliament
Responsibility for children and domestic work is still largely on women’s shoulders
Children have a negative effect on women’s salary, but a positive effect on men’s
Read the whole thing..
Feminism women strike equality equal pay Iceland Equal Representation Welfare state
