Women’s List as a Tool for Empowerment

Case study from Iceland

A Women’s Political PartyWhy?How?What did we gain?What is still to be worked for?Was it worth trying?Would it work today?Would it work in other countries and within different cultures?

In 1980 Vigdís Finnbogadóttir was elected as a president of Iceland the first woman in the world to be democratically elected as a president

This really inspired and encouraged Icelandic women ...

January 1982: A Group of Women Came Together ...

February 28th: An open meeting in Reykjavík where we discussed the

situation.

... sang our songs

... and decided to run for parliament

in the spring

Why?

some “facts” of real life

EducationGratuates from the University of Iceland 1950 –

2000

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

1950 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000

men

women

Labour Force Participation 1950 – “1982” ... 2001

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

1950

1960

1971

1975

1981

1985

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2001

% women

Women’s Representation in Parliament 1916 – 1982

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

1915

1919

1922

1923

1939

1940

1945

1950

1953

1954

1959

1963

1967

1971

1974

1978

1979

men

women

How did we work?

Hired a house in the city centre

Kept on discussing to find our own voice

Travelled around the country – learned by listening

Demonstrated

It was a Grassroot Movement

... and a Feminist Party

...and it was Fun

We got women electedTo the parliament (tot. 63 MPs)

1983: 3 1987: 6 1991: 5 1995: 3

To local governments Reykjavík Akureyri Selfoss

Women’s Representation in Parliament

1916 – “1982” ... – 2002

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

1915

1922

1939

1945

1953

1959

1967

1974

1979

1987

1995

men

women

Members of Parliament from the Women’s List

What did we gain?New political agenda

“Women’s issues” became a visible part of the discussion

More women active in politics, in all partiesMPs – from 5% to 35% Ministers – from 10% to 33%Mayor in Reykjavík – and a Prime Minister?

What is still to be worked for?

A lot! – and so it will always be,

It is a never ending story, because ...

The Society is human activities and interactions.

Institutions

Rules and legislationsSocial agreementsRights and obligations

made by humans, still mostly by men and therefore unfortunatelly primarily to fit their needs

The society ...The society is a dynamic phenomena, always in a making The society should fit us all, that was the main idea behind democracy

Therefore it is always highly important that both women and men have an equal saying in the ongoing dialogue which structures and make the society

Would a Women’s Party work today?

Would it work in other countries and within other

cultures?

Would it work?Each country has its own special circumstances,

culture, traditions etc. Women have to find their own way within the

situation they find themselves.The electoral systems are differentThe presentation of women in Parliaments varies

between countriesThere is no right way!

But if ...

If ...If the electoral system makes it easy to build up new parties, with no or low thresholds of voters

andIf the representation of women in Parliament is low (5-15%)

A Women’s Political Party could be more than worth trying