Tens of thousands of people refused to work in protest against unequal pay and gender-based violence (Picture: AP Photo/Arni Torfason)
It was eerily quiet on the suburban streets of Iceland on October 24, 2023.
Schools weren’t open, swimming pools closed and several banks shut early. That was because the majority of Iceland’s women were not at work or looking after children; they were gathered in downtown Reykjavík and other cities and towns across the country.
The 100,000-strong group, made up of women and non-binary people, had taken part in kvennafrí [Women’s Day Off in English] – a protest to put an end to unequal pay and gender-based violence.
In the morning, all-male news teams had announced shutdowns across the country with buses delayed, hospitals understaffed and hotel rooms uncleaned.
By afternoon, a huge group gathered on Arnarhóll, a hill in Reykjavík city centre, to wave signs and sing feminist songs such as ‘Áfram Stelpur (Onward Girls.) The song includes lyrics which translate to:
‘Now women mass together and carry signs of freedom; the time has come, let’s all stand hand in hand and firmly stand our ground. Even though many want to go backwards and others stand in place; we will never accept that.’
‘A sense of solidarity in the air’
Finnborg (right, with sign) at the 2023 Women’s Day Off (Picture:Finnborg Salome Steinþórsdóttir)
On the day of the protest, gender studies researcher Dr. Finnborg Salome Steinþórsdóttir stood nervously outside the University of Iceland. She had posted in Facebook groups and sent out emails about the event to her colleagues. Yet, the mum-of-one was paranoid no-one would heed her call.
Finnborg, 39, tells Metro: ‘I thought “this could be embarrassing, what if no-one turns up and I’m there alone?.” But then more and more people started to arrive. We had 1,000 people alone from the university in the end. I remember taking a photo as we walked towards downtown Reykjavík – we took up the entire street! There was a sense of solidarity in the air.’
Women on average earned 21% less than men in 2022, according to Statistics Iceland, and a third worked part time due to childcare commitments. Meanwhile, 40% had experienced gender-based assault or harassment. The group of protesters wanted to take aim at both these key issues.
A huge group gathered on the grassy Arnarhóll hill armed with signs and banners (Picture: AP)
The group also wanted to tackle the wider undervaluation of women’s jobs; such as the gender segregation between traditional ‘female’ jobs like care and education compare to ‘male’ jobs and expectations in finance and business.
Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir was among those who refused to work for the day as well as Iceland’s First Lady Eliza Reid.
Finnborg carried a sign which read ‘actions immediately’ in Icelandic. Slogans such as ‘Kallarðu þetta jafnrétti?’ [You call this equality?] were emblazoned on the placards held by others around her.
As the protestors marched around Tjörnin lake and made the streets of Reykjavík their own; they walked in the footsteps of …read more
Source:: Metro
