On 24 October 2023, Iceland held a twenty-four-hour strike supporting gender equality. The rally was organized by forty-five organizations and saw thousands of women and non-binary people across Iceland standing in solidarity. Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir joined the cause, stating that she and all the women in the cabinet would not work on this day.
The rally holds great significance after being the second full-day protest since 1975. The protest encouraged women and non-binary people to stop working for the day to highlight important societal and gendered issues critical to their society. Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir stood in solidarity with women and non-binary people on this historic day. She stated, “I will not work this day, as I expect all the women in the cabinet will do as well.” The protest encouraged women and non-binary people to stop working for the day to highlight important societal and gendered issues critical to their society.
Despite Iceland being ranked as the highest global country for gender parity, there continues to be an oversight in the current gendered problems many women face. The education and healthcare sectors are predominantly populated with women and non-binary workers who feel undervalued and underpaid. The call to action through this strike highlighted the focus on gendered challenges such as the gender pay gap, the uneven burden of domestic unpaid work, and gendered violence. It raises the question of what work needs to achieve equality for women within these sectors and beyond. The rates of gendered violence remain stagnant and are considered to be rooted within Icelandic culture, which is to be challenged. By raising awareness of the gaps in gender equality in Iceland, women and non-binary people hope to dismantle false notions of equality.
The twenty-four-hour strike brings great attention to the struggle for equal rights, a global issue which affects many countries, including Canada. It influences calls to action concerning gendered equality issues in our own societies. By recognizing the systemic barriers and discrimination faced by women and non-binary people through various aspects of life, including the home, workplace, healthcare, and education, it is necessary to promote such protests and calls to action for gender equality. As a society, we must work towards creating a more equitable environment where gendered issues are dismantled and replaced with more equal opportunities for women and non-binary people.