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Many women participated in the “Woman’s Day Off” to protect against wage inequality and other gender-related social injustices.

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In 1975, the women of Iceland took a “day off” from their usual jobs - and relations between Icelandic men and women were never quite the same again.

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Iceland established the Gender Equality Council and passed the Gender Equality Act, banning gender discrimination in the workplace and in schools.

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Human rights are the natural entitlement of all persons, of whatever nation, regardless of their residence, gender, nationality, race, religion, language or other status. All of us are equally entitled to enjoy basic human rights free from discrimination. They include a variety of interconnected and often inseparable rights.

Human rights therefore cannot be granted by legislation or determined by legal definitions but instead reflect the values and ethical criteria on which the justice system is based. On the other hand, human rights are often defined and guaranteed by law, for instance, through conventions and other sources of international law. International legislation lays down the obligations of governments to follow certain precepts in order to encourage the protection of the rights of individuals or groups; these obligations can be both positive and negative. Governments may not, for instance, violate their citizens' basic rights and, furthermore, must undertake specific measures to protect individuals and groups against human rights violations. At the same time, states may have to take certain actions to ensure that various groups or individuals are better able to exercise or fully capable of enjoying their human rights.

The Icelandic Constitution sets out the human rights which the country's citizens are to enjoy. The Constitution takes precedence over other legislation, which must comply with the provisions of the former. Legislation which fails to do so can be judged invalid by the courts.

As stated in Art. 65 of the Constitution everyone shall be equal before the law and enjoy basic human rights irrespective of gender, religion, opinions, national origin, race, colour, property, birth or other status. The same Article states, furthermore, that men and women shall enjoy equal rights in all respects.

Iceland is a signatory to a number of international conventions on human rights, in particular the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Council of Europe's European Convention on Human Rights. The Ministry of Justice oversees amendments to legislation when necessary to satisfy Iceland's international legal obligations and reports to committees monitoring the implementation of human rights agreements to which Iceland is a party.

Gender equality

The Icelandic legislation on gender equality is Act on the Equal Status and Equal Rights for Women and Men, No 10/2008. The objective of the Act is to create and maintain equal rights and opportunities for women and men, and in so doing equalise the status of both genders everywhere in the community. The Ministry of Welfare is responsible for enforcing the Act. The Centre for Gender Equality is an independent institution under the auspices of the Ministry which supervises the implementation of the Act, provides advice, public education and information concerning gender equality.

Within a year from the election of a new parliament, the Minister for gender equality must submit a proposal for a parliamentary resolution on a four-year action programme for gender equality, after having received proposals from individual ministries, the Centre for Gender Equality and the Equal Rights Council, and having regard for discussions at an equal rights congress held at two-year intervals.

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Human rights are the natural entitlement of all persons, of whatever nation, regardless of their residence, gender, nationality, race, religion, language or other status. All of us are equally entitled to enjoy basic human rights free from discrimination. They include a variety of interconnected and often inseparable rights.

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Iceland elected the world’s first female president of a democratic country.

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Woman organized another strike and left work at 2:08 p.m. to fight for equal pay at work.

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By NUNATSIAQ NEWS

Icelandic workplaces were paralysed at 2:08 p.m. on Monday when the women of the country went on strike in protest at the lack of wage parity between men and women. They stopped at that moment because 64.15 per cent of the work day was over - and if they were men and earning the same pay for the same job, that's when they would be able to leave work.

Thirty years ago, Icelandic women staged a similar protest, which brought Iceland to a standstill. About 50,000 thousand women - and men - took part in this week's similar protest, which was probably the biggest protest in the history of Iceland.

The Icelandic parliament was closed because of the protest meetings about gender inequality and Hotel Nordica, where Nordic and Baltic politicians were gathered for the annual Session of the Nordic Council, also felt the effects of the women's strike.

The president of the Nordic Council, Rannveig Gudmundsdóttir, stopped work on the preparations for the session at 2:08 p.m. to attend the protest in the centre of Reykjavik.

Gudmundsdóttir said Nordic countries still have a long way to go on the issue of equal pay for equal work.

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Women strike in Iceland | Nunatsiaq News

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By NUNATSIAQ NEWS Icelandic workplaces were paralysed at 2:08 p.m. on Monday when the women of the country went on strike in protest at the lack of wage parity between men and women.

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Woman finished their work early at 2:38 p.m. for another protest about salary.

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Thousands of Icelandic women put Thor to shame on Monday with a thunderclap of their own, after they walked out of their jobs early to protest the gender pay gap.

Women across the country left work at 2:38 p.m., with many gathering in front of the Icelandic parliament in Reykjavik for a massive demonstration. The gathered women called for equal pay, and showed their passion with a thunderclap - a communal clap that became associated with Iceland during the Euro 2016 soccer tournament.

Women in Iceland come together to fight for equality, shouting OUT #kvennafrí #womensrights pic.twitter.com/vTPFwfSoVk
- Salka Sól Eyfeld (@salkadelasol) October 24, 2016

The timing of the walkout was significant because 2:38 p.m. marks the time when women start working for "free" during a regular day, when the pay gap is factored in. Organizers say Icelandic women earn between 14 and 18 per cent less than men for the same work, on average.

The Icelandic Confederation of Labour party organized the walkout and the rally. The party says the gender pay gap has widened in Iceland since its financial collapse in 2008.

The World Economic Forum predicted in its annual Global Gender Report this week that the world is 170 years away from closing the economic gender gap. The report ranked Iceland 11th in terms of wage equality for similar work. "Iceland has closed approximately 12 per cent of its total gender gap, making it one of the fastest-improving countries in the world," the report said. However, it adds that "there remains an income gap to close."

Iceland ranked first overall on the report's global gender gap index, which incorporates other factors like health, education, economic opportunity and political empowerment.

Canada ranked 35th overall on the index, and 68th in the rankings of wage equality for similar work.

The World Economic Forum also ranked Icelandic women as the most educated and politically empowered in the world, as they demonstrated on Monday.

The walkout sparked an outpouring of support on Twitter under the hashtag "Kvenn a frí," which roughly translates to "women vacation."

Icelandic women have gone on strike today!#kvennafrí #Reykjavík #iceland pic.twitter.com/rTtWsMLnuR
- Seth Sharp (@sharpseth) October 24, 2016

Big shout out to the Women and Girls of #Iceland for fighting for equality and for inspiring others in the rest of the world #kvennafrí pic.twitter.com/nX7rXl0yGw
- Cristiana De Lia (@CristianaDeLia) October 26, 2016

Shout out to the Women of Iceland fighting for equality #kvennafrí #womensrights pic.twitter.com/cNbS9uZwsq
- JetsettersFlyin™ ✈️ (@JetSettersFlyIn) October 26, 2016

My daughter Margrét (11) marching w all the women of Iceland today,demanding equal pay. They all quit work symbolically at 14:38. #kvennafri pic.twitter.com/SrqVSkHC2F
- Hallgrímur Helgason (@HalgrimHelgason) October 24, 2016

Go girls!#kvennafri pic.twitter.com/gyvzmDRTTK
- Halldóra Mogensen (@Halldoramog) October 24, 2016

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Why thousands of Icelandic women left work at 2:38 p.m.

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Thousands of Icelandic women put Thor to shame on Monday with a thunderclap of their own, after they walked out of their jobs early to protest the gender pay gap. Women across the country left work at 2:38 p.m., with many gathering in front of the Icelandic parliament in Reykjavik for a massive demonstration.

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Iceland become the first country to legally demand that men and women be paid equally.