Talk:1975 Icelandic women's strike

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Icelandic women have been going on strike on October 24 every few years since 1975, when the tradition was started,^[1] “The goal of the strike was to protest the wage discrepancy and unfair employment practices by demonstrating the crucial roles of women in Icelandic society.”^[2] The strike included both women who worked in paid jobs and women doing household duties and taking care of their families. They did this “to demonstrate that what their husbands and bosses used to take for granted.”^[3]. The protest was led by a women’s rights group in Iceland organized for International Women’s Year.^[2] This included 90% of the women in Iceland.^[4] They called this day “women’s day off” and were in an attempt to overcome the gender pay gap, while fighting for social and economic equality.^[5]. In 1975, 2005, 2010, and 2016 women in Iceland walked out in accordance to the time of day that they would stop being paid if their wage was the same as men^[5]

The time of day was chosen as the time that women would begin to work for free if they were paid the same as their male counterparts. In 1975 women left their workplaces at 2:05pm, in 2005, 2:08pm, in 2010, they left at 2:25pm, and at 2016, at 2:38pm,^[6] only half an hour later than 11 years earlier.^[7] At this rate (~3 minutes later/year), it is estimated that it will take 52 years to close the gender pay gap and bring the strike time down to zero.^[8]

The original protest was proposed by The Red Stockings, a radical women’s movement founded in 1970. After the United Nations declared 1975 as International Women's Year, five of the major women’s rights groups in Iceland sent one member each to a committee to plan events for the year.^[2]. Originally proposed as a women's strike, the name was changed to a “womens' day off” when some women found "strike" too confrontational; they thought ‘day off’ was a more pleasant way to put it, appealing more directly to the masses^[5] and encouraging public support.^[9]

Most saw the event as a success, although one member of The Red Stockings thought it a missed opportunity that did not really change anything.^[10] Vigdis Finnbogadottir, the first women president of England, and divorced mother referred to the event as having “showed the force and necessity of women — it completely changed the way of thinking.”^[5] She also stated that had it not been for that initial strike in 1975, she probably never would have made it to presidency.^[5]

It is said that in 1975, women in the workplace made 60% less than their male counterparts. Many were unable to work as they had to stay at home to do the housework and raise the children.^[2] The scale of the event was very large, covering 25,000 women in a country with just 220,000 inhabitants. In Reykjavik, almost 90% of the women participated.^[5]. Similar yet smaller versions of the protest were said to have taken place all across the country.^[8]

The first strike in 1975 affected many things. Many schoolteachers were women, so schools closed or nearly so. The walkout disrupted the telephone service, and halted the printing of newspapers, as the typesetters were all women. Daycares were mostly closed, because the daycare workers were women, so men had to take their children to work. Easy-to-cook meals ran out in many stores, as did sweets and items to distract children.^[5]

The strike continued until midnight, when women returned to work. The typesetters returned to set newspapers which were almost entirely devoted to the womens' strike.^[2]

Woman achieved their intended goal, basically shutting down Iceland for the day.^[2] Men referred to this day as "the Long Friday" ^[5] Vigdis referred to the event saying, "What happened that day was the first step for women's emancipation in Iceland, it completely paralyzed the country and opened the eyes of many men."^[5]. In the year following the strike, Iceland set up the Gender Equality Council, and passed the Gender Equality Act, which prohibited gender discrimination in the workplace and in schools.^[9]

References

1. ^ "Icelandic women cut working day to protest wage gap". The France 24 Observers. Retrieved 2016-12-09.
2. ^ ^{a b c d e f} "Icelandic women strike for economic and social equality, 1975 | Global Nonviolent Action Database". nvdatabase.swarthmore.edu. Retrieved 2016-12-09.
3. ^ Cite error: The named reference auto3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
4. ^ Cite error: The named reference auto4 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
5. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i} Brewer, Kirstie (2015-10-23). "The day Iceland's women went on strike". BBC News. Retrieved 2016-12-09.
6. ^ Cite error: The named reference :4 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
7. ^ Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
8. ^ ^{a b} "Thousands of women in Iceland went on strike to get equal pay". The Independent. 2016-10-25. Retrieved 2016-12-09.
9. ^ ^{a b} Cite error: The named reference auto was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
10. ^ Brewer, Kirstie (23 October 2015). "The day Iceland's women went on strike". BBC News. Retrieved 20 October 2018.