Monthly Event Reports
October 2023 | Icelanders go on strike against gender-based violence and pay discrimination
On 24 October, more than a quarter of Iceland’s population went on a full-day strike against gender-based violence and pay discrimination. The crowd of over 100,000 women and non-binary people was joined by Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir and caused widespread disruptions, with schools, kindergartens and most banks having to close. It is the first strike of its kind since 1975, when a full-day strike by 90 per cent of Icelandic women resulted in the creation of a women’s political party and the election of the world’s first elected female president. Although the country at present is among the world’s most gender equal, research from the University of Iceland has found that 40 per cent of Icelandic women have experienced physical and/or sexual abuse in their lifetime. National statistics from 2022 reveal that Icelandic women earn 9.1 per cent less than Icelandic men, with a gap of over 25 per cent in some occupations.
June 2023 | Parliament passes conversion therapy ban
In a unanimous vote, Iceland’s parliament has approved legislation that bans conversion therapy related to sexual orientation, gender expression and gender identity. The new legislation, proposed by the Reform Party MP Hanna Katrín Friðriksson, garnered broad cross-party support. There were no votes against the law, with 53 MPs voting in favour, three abstaining, and seven being absent. According to the legislation, which will take effect on 1 January 2024, individuals who carry out or subject adults or children to conversion therapies could face sentences ranging from two to five years in prison. The LGBTQIA+ community and rights groups in Iceland have welcomed the legislation.
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