The original content of Democracy Now! Headlines appears under the Creative
Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 License (United States). For more, including their other
shows and media, visit www.democracynow.org.
October 25, 2023

Iceland's Prime Minister Joins 24-Hour Strike Against Gender-Based Violence and Pay Discrimination
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Women and nonbinary people across Iceland held a 24-hour strike Tuesday
to highlight the gender pay gap and gender-based violence. It was the
seventh countrywide strike since the movement started in 1975. Though
Iceland has topped the World Economic Forum's Gender Gap Report for 14
straight years, researchers say 40% of women will still experience
gender-based discrimination and sexual violence. Yesterday's work
stoppage, led by trade unions, affected all industries, from schools to
the highest echelons of government, with Prime Minister Katrín
Jakobsdóttir also participating in the strike. This is Agriculture
Minister Svandís Svavarsdóttir.

Svandís Svavarsdóttir: "It's about gender equality. We have been
fighting for it for decades. And this day is very special for us, for
women in Iceland, because we all skipped work 48 years ago, and we are
doing it again today because the gap is still there and we are fighting
against it."



.