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Equal opportunities in Iceland -Myths and contradictions-

Equal opportunities in Iceland -Myths and contradictions-. Women mounted a strong womens movement during the 20th century: They contributed to the economy They entered the labour force in high numbers They engaged in an unusually persitant political struggle

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Equal opportunities in Iceland -Myths and contradictions-

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  1. Equal opportunities in Iceland-Myths and contradictions- • Women mounted a strong womens movement during the 20th century: • They contributed to the economy • They entered the labour force in high numbers • They engaged in an unusually persitant political struggle • High female wellbeing but compared to the other nordic countries their situation is in many ways weaker: • More children per women • Longer working hours in paid work • Lower politcal participation

  2. Historical legacy of Iclandic women • A deeply gendered process of independence and nation building at the turn of the 20th century. • A resarch by a feminist historian Mattíasdóttir (1900-1930) showed how the making of the icelandic nation was entierly masculine. The ‘rational’ needs for freedom, autonomy and democracy were constructed in a hierachic opposition to the female identity. • During the same period women had a strong presence in social life and entered politics with seperate lists in local and national elections (1908 and 1922) • After an increased public participation women suffered a great defeat in the form of strong, growing resistance and by 1930 the ‘housewife’ ideology became the dominant view of womens role in society

  3. A demographic portrait of Icelandic women • 20th century can bee characterised by an extensive urbanisation. • 1880: 90% of the population lived in rural areas and 75% of these were engaged in agriculture. Today this rate is less than 10%. 60% of the population now lives in the Reykjavík area. • Iceland fertility rate dropped from 3.9 % in 1900 to 2.1% in 2000; it peaked in the 1960s and the fell dramatically in the 1970s. (1.5% in Sweden and 1.8 in Norway in 2000). Maternal mortality rate is 1.1 per 1000 births and the infant mortality rate 3 per 1000 (among the lowest in the world).

  4. A demographic portrait of Icelandic women • Contraception and abortion • The rate of relatively young and old women given birth is relative high in Iceland compared with other Nordic countries. In 2000, 6% of all women given birth were 16-19 and 22% were 22-24 years old. 3% older than 40. Indicates a unsystematic use of contraception. • Low marriage rate. Consensual unions are very common. Rates of children born out of wedlock have been much higher in Iceland than in other countries. In 2001 the rate of marriages was five per 1000 inhabitants - 40% of all marriages ends with a divorce. • Lesbians and guy men have since 1996 the right to registered partnership and step-adoptions but not adoptions.

  5. Family policies • Social welfare: Iceland belongs to the ‘family friendly’ Nordic countries but it departs form them as concerns support for families with children. Furthermore it spends lesser of social welfare in general, 20% of GNP in 2001, than the NC with 26-31%. • Parental leave policies: A new law in 2000 introduced radical changes as fathers now have equal rights to parental leave as mothers. Men are granted three months, women three and three can bee divided. The payment is 80% of gross wages with a fixed minimum and an upper limit. 87% of new fathers took use of the leave in 2003. • Meant to promote gender equality in other areas as well –help to level out gender differences in the labour market and reduce the gender wage gap.

  6. Economic and labour force participation • Women have contributed significantly to Iceland’s economy but are few when it comes to economic power and managerial positions. • In 2000, 79% of women and 88% of men (16-74 years old) were active on the labour market. Women have been active during the whole century and the proportion of active women never fell below one third. • In 2004 women are managers in 18% of registered companies and only 4% of big companies. No bank is headed by a women and they are only 2,3% of the board members of the 15 biggest companies on the Icelandic stock exchange.

  7. Economic and labour force participation • 44% of active women work part time while only 11% of active men work part time. Women are more likely to be unemployed. Unemployment rate: W; 2.9%. M; 1.8% • The average working weak for an full employed men is 54 hours and 44 hours for women. • Gender segregated labour market, both in sector and occupations. 85% of women work in services against 55% of men. 34% of men work in industry and 11% of women. • The labour market has become more gender segregated in recent years. Women are less likely than men to hold the highest positions and higher share of men than women are senior officials, managers and legislators. Only 18% of managers within the public sector are women.

  8. Wage differences and discrimination • In 1907 the Icelandic Women’s Rights organisation emphasised pay equity. • In 1992 (50 years after the first legal clauses on equal pay) women’s average earning were 55% of men’s. In 2000 it increased to 58%. • Adjusted gender pay gap (after accounting for occupation, working hours and seniority) is between 12-17% • According to a new survey (2003) a male civil servant earns 27% more than women in comparable occupations. • Recent studies suggest that the gender pay gap may even widen with increased education and labour market participation

  9. Higher education • 17% of the female population has an university degree compared to 19% of men. • In the last 30 years the proportion of women students at the university level increased from 10-60%. • Women outnumber men at the university level by the 1980s: by 2000 women were 60% of those who graduated with a four-year university degree. Age differences: 27% of graduating women are 35 years old or older against only 16% of men. Indicates that family responsibilities are a bigger obstacle to young women than men. • Gender patterns as concerns fields of studies correspond with the gender segregated labour market. • Out of eight universities only one has women president • Women are 15% of university professors

  10. Political and cultural leadership • First stage of suffrage in 1882, right to run for office in 1908 and women over 40 gained full suffrage in 1915. Age limitation removed in 1920. • In the 1970s a vibrant radical feminist movement ‘the Redstockings’ emerged. In 1975 the women’s day off protest in Iceland received international media coverage. • Women political leadership: • In 1980 Iceland became the first country to choose a female president in free elections. Vigdís Finnbogadóttir (198-1996) an important role model as well as: • Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir, former major of Reykjavík (1994-2003). Now a vice-chairman of social democrats • Despite of them a wide power gap remains between women and men.

  11. Political and cultural leadership • In January 2004 the proportion of female ministers were 25% while they are 37% of all ministers in Denmark, Norway and Finland and 44% in Sweden. • Quotas or other special measures as have been used in the other Nordic countries are not common but primary elections are which have proved to disadvantage women for several reasons. • A change in female participation in parliament in 1983, when the rate rose from 5-15% with the apperance of the women’s list which placed strong pressure on politics since then. • In Iceland claims and increase in political participation of women are mainly a result of the pressure of the women’s movement.

  12. Equal opportunities policies • First special legislation on gender equality in 1976 as a result of the UN women’s decade. Based on the equal rights principles of the constitution and a legislation from 1971 on equal pay. Formal rights of women and men. • An act on the equal rights and equal status of men and women from 1991; introduces special measures to improve women’s situation. • New act in 2000; introduces gender mainstreaming as a method and a obligation of public and private to run a action plan concerning gender equality. Equal rights coordinators work part time in each ministry. • Since 1992 the government runs a four years action plan. Responsibility of the social minister and presented for the parliament after a collection of proposals for measures and projects from every ministry.

  13. Institutional developments • The Gender Equality Act of 2000 established a new institution, the Centre for Gender Equality which is administered by the Ministry of Social Affairs and is entrusted with the monitoring of the application of the Act. The new institution was moved from the capital Reykjavík to Akureyri a small town in the northen part of Iceland in 2000. • Multiply task (education, coordination, counselling, monitoring governmental project etc..- Very small governmental funding and few staff • Public institutions, employers and non-governmental organizations are obliged to provide the Centre for Gender Equality with general information which it may need for its operations. • In special circumstances the Centre for Gender Equality may initiate legal proceedings to obtain recognition of the rights of the plaintiff on the basis of the opinions of the Gender Equality Complaints Committee. • Gender equality council: A nine member council appointed by the Minister of social affairs. I task is to make systematic efforts to equalise the status and the rights of women and men in the labour market.

  14. Institutional developments • Gender equality coordinators in each ministry to monitor activities (only part time and often without education in the field of gender equality) • Gender equality complaints committee: Three lawyers appointed by the minister of social affairs. The conclusions of the committee are not binding on the relevant parties. The committee only presents a reasoned call for amendments if the opinion is in breach of the provisions of the law. • Gender equality counsellors in four rural areas for the Institute for rural development. Mainly working on labour market issues.

  15. SWOT • Strength: • A two track strategy:Gender mainstream all public policies, Special measures to improve the situation of women • Background: High labour market participation. Women are highly educated. Strong feminists movement (2003) in and outside the academia. Academia and NGO can put external pressure on the government, the report reflect that fact. • Emphasis on gender related wage discrimination, although action do not follow • Recognition of the fact that those involved in the policy making and decision making do not always have the necessary knowledge of the issue involved. • For the first time explicit provisions are made on follow up measures connected to the governmental action plan. • Allowance is made for a survey to be made on the result achieved by the government in the middle of the term and by at the end of the programme.

  16. SWOT (2) • Weaknesses: • The system has not adopted gender mainstreaming successfully. It is understood as a bureaucratic procedure administrated by the state, managed by public officials which have limited power and insufficient funding.Lack of knowledge, misinterpreation and misunderstanding of the term GM among public officials. Projects are carried out as special measures and last only for a certain period of time; 2-4 years. • Within the system there is strong resistance and misunderstanding about gender equality policies. Experts are not involved in the policy making prosess of gender equality. Only 30% of projects / programmes of the national action plan are implemented. Weak complaintment prosess and is seldom used by women. No formal dialogue with NGOs and academia.

  17. SWOT (3) • O: Research, statistics and material from special (expert) committees in the field gender equality is waiting to bee implemented. A long time of backlash. • The University is the only institution which has a policy against discrimination. • T: Gender overshadow by other minority groups. Lack of political will. Double work burden of women. Low number of women in politics, media, senior post, as managers etc • Experts and academics are seldom consulted or involved in the policy- making processess • Lack of cooperation between public authorities, experts and social actors • Effective monitoring process of gender equality policies is lacking • More comprehensive gender approach, clearer definition of GM and education for all involved actors is necessary for a succecful implementation of gender equaltiy policies

  18. Conclusion: Women in Iceland still have a long way to go before they can realise gender equality. Gender relations are modern and traditional at the same time. In general formal and legal equality exists but women face much overt and hidden discrimination. The future task for women in Iceland is to identify the mechanism behind this hidden discrimination and to develop strategies for overcoming barriers to gender equality.

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