C-19: Actions to prevent increased violence against women and children
The Government of Iceland has announced various measures to mitigate the economic and societal effects of the COVID-19 outbreak. The information below explains those measures with a special focus on measures aimed at promoting gender equality.
Prime Minister's Report on the Status and Development of Gender Equality 2018-2019
The Prime Minister's report on the status and development of equality issues from 2018 - 2019 has been published on the website of the Cabinet in relations to the Equal Rights Conference held in Harpa on February 20. The report states, among other things, that while the participation of women is among the highest in Europe, gender segregation is still characteristic when it comes to the Icelandic labour market, both regarding care and home chores. Women are more likely than men to work part-time, with just under 27% working part-time compared to 6.5% of men. Men also work longer working days and their working hours are more likely to be unconventional than women's working hours. It also appears that women are more likely to assume responsibility for caring for relatives than men.
The Gender Equality Action Plan submitted to Parliament
The government has agreed that a proposal for a parliamentary resolution on a gender equality action plan for the period 2020-2023 be submitted to Parliament at the beginning of the 150th legislative session this month.
Since the #MeToo movement gained traction in 2017 millions of women have use the hashtag #MeToo on social media across the world. Anonymously or not, women have revealed epidemic levels of harassment, violence and everyday sexism. Women have called upon people in position of power to act and to help bring an end to women’s inequality and systematic sexism. In some countries the impact of #MeToo has been minimal while in others the movement has led to a robust review of structural inequalities, within specific sectors or in society at large. The impact of #MeToo has been significantly different amongst the Nordic countries, which normally rank high on gender equality indexes