Categories: World

Iceland PM goes on strike over women’s equal pay, gender-based violence

close Video

Fox News Flash top headlines for October 24

Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what’s clicking on Foxnews.com.

The prime minister of Iceland went on strike Tuesday in protest of gender discrimination.

Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdóttir joined women across the country in a national demonstration against pay discrimination and gendered violence.

“We have not yet reached our goals of full gender equality and we are still tackling the gender-based wage gap, which is unacceptable in 2023,” Jakobsdóttir told news outlet mbl.is. 

ICELAND RESUMES COMMERCIAL HUNTING OF FIN WHALES WITH STRICTER REQUIREMENTS

Iceland’s Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir went on strike Tuesday, Oct. 24, along with women across the volcanic island nation, to push for an end to unequal pay and gender-based violence. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber, file)

The nationwide protest, referred to as a “women’s strike,” is the first full day of widespread female absence from the workforce since 1975.

“I will not work this day, as I expect all the women [in cabinet] will do as well,” Jakobsdóttir said.

The original protest aimed to emphasize the importance of women in the workforce and urge an end to disparate wages between female and male workers.

ICELAND VOLCANIC ERUPTION JUST MILES FROM CAPITAL CAUGHT ON INCREDIBLE VIDEO

Iceland’s capital city Reykjavik (Tim Graham/Getty Images)

Women in Iceland earn approximately 10% less on average compared to their male counterparts, according to the World Economic Forum.

As Icelandic women’s rights movements have made greater headway in their campaigns, the scope and meaning of the protests have expanded to include other issues.

“We are still tackling gender-based violence, which has been a priority for my government to tackle,” Jakobsdóttir said.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Prime Minister of Iceland Katrín Jakobsdóttir attends the Edinburgh International Book Festival 2023 at Edinburgh College of Art in Scotland. (Roberto Ricciuti/Getty Images)

Iceland consistently ranks among the most gender-equal countries in the world in terms of education, employment and health care.

Jakobsdóttir’s cabinet maintains an equal number of men and women and Iceland’s national parliament hovers just under 50% female.

Past Icelandic women’s strikes have sparked similar protests in other European countries.

Timothy Nerozzi is a writer for Fox News Digital. You can follow him on Twitter @timothynerozzi and can email him at timothy.nerozzi@fox.com

Share

Recent Posts

Ohio lawmaker proposes comprehensive ban on marrying AI systems and granting legal personhood

An Ohio lawmaker is taking aim at artificial intelligence in a way few expected. Rep.…

24 minutes ago

Scammers target retirees with election tricks and fake polling updates ahead of Nov. 4 vote

Election season should be about casting your vote and making your voice heard. But for…

3 hours ago

AI jobs that pay $200K or more

I know that many of you are afraid that AI is going to take your…

21 hours ago

Rude ChatGPT prompts, better answers? What the data says

Do rude prompts really get better answers? Short answer: sometimes. A 2025 arXiv study tested…

1 day ago

AI girlfriend apps leak millions of private chats

Millions of private messages meant to stay secret are now public. Two AI companion apps,…

2 days ago

Teens face new PG-13 limits on Instagram

Instagram is turning up the parental controls. The app will now treat teen accounts more…

2 days ago