Women’s Ongoing Struggle for Equal Pay and Rights

For centuries, women have been relegated to the status of the ‘second’ gender, facing discrimination, harassment, and limited opportunities. Even after joining the workforce following World War II, they encountered ongoing challenges in securing equal respect, status, and pay compared to men. Unfortunately, this struggle persists, despite a reduced pay gap and increased opportunities worldwide.

Iceland, often lauded as the world’s most gender-equal country, recently witnessed tens of thousands of women and non-binary individuals going on strike to demand an end to unequal pay and gender-based violence. Iceland’s Prime Minister, Katrín Jakobsdóttir, supported the strike.

This strike, known as “kvennafrí” or women’s day off, disrupted daily life with all-male news teams, public transport delays, understaffed hospitals, and unclean hotel rooms. Trade unions, responsible for about 90% of the country’s workforce, called on women and non-binary individuals to refuse both paid and unpaid work, including household chores.

This event harkens back to the 1975 Icelandic women’s strike when 90% of women refused to work, clean, or care for children, congregating in Reykjavik to protest workplace discrimination. This historic strike paved the way for the election of the world’s first democratically elected female president, Vigdís Finnbogadóttir.

Iceland, a volcanic island with approximately 380,000 people, consistently ranks as the best country for equality, with a gender pay gap of only about 9.52%. This figure is significantly lower than that of many other countries, such as India (27%) and the United States (18%).

Despite these achievements, the strike in Iceland sheds light on the global gender inequality that persists, where women often receive less pay for the same or even more work compared to men. Their entry into the workforce hasn’t translated into equal living or working conditions. Women continue to face challenges in various aspects of life and work.

The ongoing struggles of women to achieve equality in the workplace send a clear message to governments, CEOs, and managers who perpetuate unequal rights and unsafe conditions for women. As we anticipate a more equal future, we must acknowledge and address the persistent pay disparity and other inequalities faced by women worldwide.

Re-reported from the article originally published in The Outlook