Speaking outside her office before the start of a huge gathering in the centre of Reykjavík, Katrín Jakobsdóttir said the world was dragging its feet on gender equality but that Iceland was doing its best to deal with "huge issues" such as the gender pay gap, gender-based violence and sexual harassment.
She told the Guardian: "My dream is that we will do that [achieve full gender equality] before 2030, but I know it will take a lot of effort. We have been making changes in legislation... and hopefully we will see us continue to move forward." Citing UN estimates that at the current pace of progress it would take 300 years to achieve this goal, Jakobsdóttir added: "This is just not acceptable that women around the globe will have to wait for full equality for 300 years." Organisers of the strike said the action had caused widespread disruption, with schools and kindergartens closed across Iceland and just one bank staying open.
At least 25,000 women descended on Reykjavík city centre calling for the country's wage gap to be closed - women on average were paid 21% less than men in 2022, according to Statistics Iceland - and for an end to gender-based and sexual violence, which affects 40% of women in Iceland during their lifetimes.
In towns around the country, including Húsavík, Akureyri and Sauðárkrókur, thousands more women took part in protest events under the slogan Kallarðu þetta jafnrétti? (you call this equality?).
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة October 25, 2023 من The Guardian.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة October 25, 2023 من The Guardian.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
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