BSRB, federation of public sector workers in Iceland, and Stígamót, center for survivors of sexual violence, are hosting an event at CSW this year.

On October 24th 2023 a large part of women and non-binary people in Iceland went on strike for the whole day. They did not show up for work, they did not perform all the unpaid household and care work that they do every day and they also took time off from the mental burden they bear. The goal of the strike was to protest lack of action when it comes to gender-based violence and the gender pay gap.

The numbers speak for themselves. About 40% of Icelandic women have been sexually assaulted or harassed in their lifetime and the gender pay gap stands at 21%. This is true despite the fact that Iceland is often celebrated as the best country in the world when it comes to gender equality, an equality paradise even. We, the women and non-binary people of Iceland, do not accept that definition and we do not accept the gender pay gap or gender-based violence. Icelandic women have gone on strike 7 times. T

he first time was in 1975, a historic event where the majority of women took part. This was a pivotal moment for the women‘s movement in Iceland. An important part of these strikes has been the collaboration between trade unions and the women‘s movement, and this time also the LGTBQIA+ movement. By joining forces we are so much stronger. At the event, BSRB, Stígamót and some of the other organisers will talk about the strike of 2023. What were the main demands and how do we envision what will happen in the near future, because of the solidarity of women? We are waging a battle against patriarchy where the culture is hostile to women and non-binary people and we will not give up until we have full equality.

We will also talk about how we managed to mobilise all these women and non-binary people to take part, all around the country. There will also be some time allocated for questions from the audience. The strike was covered in media across the world and has already inspired action from women’s groups in several countries. Hopefully we can inspire many more, because the battle against patriarchy has to be on a global scale.

The event will take place at 4:30 pm on Thursday March 14, on the second floor of the CCUN. We welcome you all!