
Happy Women's Rights Day!
Efling Union extends its warmest congratulations to its women members and to all women in Iceland on Women's Rights Day. Today, 19 June, marks 111 years since Icelandic women aged 40 and over got the right to vote and stand for election to the Althingi, Iceland's Parliament. In 1920, with the adoption of a new Constitution, the voting age for women was lowered to 25.
Women's Rights Day is a day of celebration, but above all, it is a day of struggle. True gender equality has yet to be achieved in the Icelandic labour market, and Efling's women members know this from first-hand experience.
According to surveys conducted by Varða, the Labour Market Research Institute, Efling's women members face some of the most difficult conditions in the Icelandic labour market. A large proportion struggle to make ends meet, around half report poor mental health, and more than half are at risk of burnout.
This is unacceptable. Efling's women members, along with working women across Iceland, keep society running. They are the driving force behind the economy, caring for children, older people, and those who are ill. They deserve respect, decent pay and working conditions, and recognition for the invaluable contribution they make. That is Efling's demand on Women's Rights Day, and every other day of the year.
Happy Women's Rights Day.




