In the eyes of many observers, Iceland has become a symbol of progress on gender equality. The country’s path toward this status, however, has roots stretching back over a millennium, shaped by both social convention and acts of resistance.
Deep origins and social roles
When Norse settlers arrived in Iceland around 870, women travelled and established farms alongside men. Archaeological finds suggest they ran households, managed farms, and, in some cases, even participated in commerce. Medieval legal texts record that women could own property, request divorce, and claim their dowry, a notable contrast to the rights of women in much of medieval Europe.
The substantial Celtic presence in the ancestry of Icelandic women traces back to the abduction and forced migration of many women from Ireland and Britain. This turbulent origin did not stop some early Icelandic women from achieving prominence, such as Aud the Deep-Minded, Gudrid Thorbjarnardóttir, and Steinunn Refsdóttir. These figures became part of Iceland’s narrative, illustrating women’s influence in both settlement stories and the Icelandic sagas.
From suffrage to strikes: reshaping equality
The political landscape began to shift more dramatically in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Starting in 1915, Icelandic women gained voting rights in parliamentary elections, after decades of campaigning and incremental reforms. Organisations like the Icelandic Women’s Rights Association and figures such as Bríet Bjarnhéðinsdóttir played pivotal roles in this movement.
Education mirrored these changes. The first school for girls opened in the mid-19th century and, over time, women gained access to higher education. By 2018, 65 percent of university students in Iceland were women, a statistic echoed by their strong workforce participation.
An important turning point came in 1975, when an estimated 90 percent of Icelandic women left work for the day in protest against unequal pay and expectations. The event, later called “the Long Friday,” brought much of daily life to a standstill. Its impact was felt immediately, with the government establishing a Gender Equality Council and enacting a law targeting workplace discrimination the following year.
More recently, Iceland has seen women hold the highest positions of state power. In 1980, the country elected Vigdís Finnbogadóttir as the world’s first female head of state. Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir later became the first openly gay head of government anywhere, serving as Prime Minister in 2009.
Wage differences remain: the average Icelandic woman earns less than her male counterpart, though the gap is slowly narrowing. Iceland continues to score at the top of global surveys for closing the gender divide, with particularly high numbers of women involved in politics and the labour force. Yet, as in other countries, full equality has proven complex, and challenges persist in sectors such as health care and protection from violence.
