Is Iceland the Promised Land For Feminism?

Dr Steinunn Helga Lárusdóttir

University of Iceland, School of Education

Centre for Higher Education and Equity Research (CHEER)

University of Sussex, UK

9th October 2014

The Presentation

1.Context and History

2.The Global Gender Gap Report1. Highlights 2. Concerns

3.Summary

The Icelandic Context

• The population of Iceland as of 1st of January2011 was 318,452.

• Around 80% of the population is urban

• The population ethnicity is northern Europeanand the religion is Evangelical Lutheran for the

vast majority of the population.

• The literacy rate in Iceland is 99%.

• 90% of children aged 1-5 years are indaycare. Most municipalities pay 85% of

operation costs of kindergartens.

• Iceland has one of the highest fertility rates in Europe, 2.1 children per woman in 2010.

Women and Men in Iceland (2011):http://jafnretti.is/D10/_Files/Women%20and

%20Men%202011.pdf

Gender Equality-Stepping Stones

1915 Women over the age of 40 gain national suffrage and the right to hold office

1920 All women gain national suffrage and the right to hold office

1961 Equal Pay Act approved by parliament

1975 Women’s strike - One day strike; 90% percent participaton

1976 The first Gender Equality Act and the Gender Equality Council is founded

1980 The first nationally elected female president in the world

1983 The Women’s Alliance-Women´s List, runs in parliamentary elections for the first time

2003 Fathers get an independent right to three months of paid parental leave

2009 The first female prime minister in Iceland

2009 The first government with equal number of men and women

2013 A law is passed that obligates companies to have minimum 40% women or men in their boards

2012 First woman elected Bishop of Iceland

Iceland in the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report

Iceland has held the top spot for the fifth consecutive year on World Economic Forum’s Global gender gap report.

The report ranks 136 countries on their ability to close the gender gap in four key areas:

Health and survival Education Politics Economic equality

Women in the labour market 

Politics Women in Parliament: 40% Three ministers (out of 9)

Economic Equality Women´s participation in the

labour market: 77,6% Women earn about 68%-82% of

of men´s salaries Gender pay gap: 7-18% .

Politics-Why women are so well represented

Iceland has a history of: Active feminist movements

1908: Women gained the right to hold local office 1908: Four women were elected to the Reykjavík, city

council 1922: Ingibjörg Bjarnason headed a Women´s list in

parliamentary elections Progressive female politicians Successful women´s lists, i.e. The Women’s

Alliance-Women´s List, 1983 - A turning point

Politics- Political system

Proportional representation and multi-member districts. Seats are divided in these multi-member districts according

to the proportion of votes received by the various parties or groups running candidates

The system encourages formation of new political parties Women are:

40% of parliament in 2013 (42,9% in 2009) One-third of Ministers 40% of council members since the 2010 municipal elections

Women in PoliticsContemporary Role Models

Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir: the first female prime mininster in Iceland and the first openly gay female head of government more widelyAn advocate for gender equality and social justice2009-The first government with equal number of men and womenJohanna´s government enhanced gender equalityIn 2009, Forbes listed her among the 100 Most Powerful Women in the world. Jóhanna at Gay Pride 2013: Love is simply Love" http://www.newsoficeland.com/culture/daily-life/item/498-former-prime-minister-of-iceland-speaks-at-worldpride-video

Women in Politics and High OfficesContemporary Role Models

Kristín Ingólfsdóttir, Rector of the Univerisity of Iceland

Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, former President of Iceland

Women in the Labour MarketParticipation vs. Power

Women´s participation in the labour market: 77,6%

Women are 45,5“ of the Icelandic labour force

2009: Women were 65% of those working for governmental institutions 40% of council members since the

2010 municipal elections

2008: 65% of women had a full time job while 90% of men worked full time Women are still responsible for

most of the household and for caretaking

Women´s participation in the private sector: 48%.

Women managers in the private sector: 19%.

Women CEO: 22% Women top executives in the

100 largest companies: 13% 2013: Corporations with more

than 50 employees now required to have at least 40% women or men on their boards.

Women in the Labour MarketThe Gender Pay Gap

An Act on Equal Pay for Equal Work since 1961

Women earn about 68%-82% of that of men

The Gender pay gap is 7-18% .

Possible reasons: Segregated workforce Attitional payments go to

men Low participation of women

in management of corporations

Women´s work less valued

Government will: Increase research on

gender gap´s causes Equal Pay standards will

be developed 2008:Amended

legislation: 40% quota when designating members for governmental or municipal boards.

Women in the Labour Market Parental Leave

Since 2000 Parents get 9 months:

three for fathers, three for mothers and three months to share.

The 3 months earmarked for each partner are not transferable.

2012-Parental leave extended to 12 months by law

2014- Implementation of 2012 law postponed

Due to budget cuts, maximum payment cut over 40%. As a result: Fathers use less of their

leave. Mothers use more

Day Care-The one year gap

Additional Concerns

The Cultural Environment

Gender system, gender schemes and how it continues to keep women and men in place.

Gender´s absence in teacher education

The Gender System and Attitudes of Students in Upper-Secondary Schools.

Difficult to cross boundaries of socially accepted behavior, more so for boys. Student´s answers significantly different, boys were more conservative (Gerður Bjarnadóttir and Gudný Gudbjornsdóttir, 2011)

“Try to Behave Like a Woman”-Students’ memories of being girls or boys.

From early on students were restricted in how they constructed their gender identity by explicit messages about what was seen as socially acceptable for their gender (Þórdís Þórðardóttir and Steinunn Helga Lárusdóttir, 2014).

The „Jetset“ and the „Coach set“: Gender in Teacher Education:

Teachers tend to either ignore or show resistance to gender equality, or focus on gender as a binary essentialist concept, hence the jetset and the couchset. (Gudný Gudbjornsdóttir and Steinunn Helga Lárusdóttir, 2012)

Additional Concerns

Economical Environment The boom and the bust

Political Environment The Independence Party and

the Progressive Party Neo-Liberalism-Again!

Sigurlína Davíðsdóttir, Guðný Guðbjörnsdóttir, Anna Kristín Sigurðardóttir, Arna H. Jónsdóttir, Borkur Hansen and Steinunn Helga Lárusdóttir (2012). Economic meltdown and schooling in two Icelandic communities: A school crisis? Netla, Proceedings.

Steinunn Helga Lárusdóttir. (2014). Educational leadership and market values: A study of school principals in Iceland. Educational Management Administration & Leadership. Vol 42(4S) 83-103

On the Bright Side!

Icelandic men leading the HeForShe charts: http://www.mbl.is/frettir/english/2014/09/24/icelandic_men_leading_the_heforshe_charts/

Equality Days at the University of Iceland: http://english.hi.is/university/equality_days_2014_programme

“Barbershop” conference in January 2015 where men will discuss gender equality with other men, with a special focus on addressing violence against women. Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson, minister of foreign affairs at the General Assembly of the United Nations: http://www.un.org/en/ga/69/meetings/gadebate/pdf/IS_fen.pdf

So - Is Iceland the Promised Land for Feminism?

Resources

Women and Men in Iceland (2011): http://jafnretti.is/D10/_Files/Women%20and%20Men%202011.pdf The Government Offices of Iceland: http://www.government.is/ Iceland.is, The Gateway to Iceland: http://iceland.is Centre for Equality in Iceland, 2012:

http://eng.fjarmalaraduneyti.is/media/Gender_Equality_in_Iceland_012012.pdf Women's History Archives: http://kvennasogusafn.is/index.php?page=womens-suffrage More on the Welfare Watch: http://yourhost.is/images/stories/welfare2011/lara

%20bjornsdottir.pdf Report of the Special Investigation Commission in English: http://sic.althingi.is/ More on the gender analysis of the special report:

http://www.nikk.no/Nationcentricmasculinity+ideals+and+the+Icelandic+bank+collapse.b7C_wlfO3e.ips

Childbirth Leave Fund: http://www.faedingarorlof.is/umsoknir--eydublod/application-for-payments-from-the-childbirthleave-fund/

Women Parliamentarians. Althingi. Accessed on December 11th, 2010: http://www.althingi.is/vefur/women.html

Yoko Ono´sImagine Peace Tower in Videy, Iceland