Why thousands of women in Iceland walked off the job at 2:38pm
Iceland is known for its liberal views and beliefs in equal opportunities for all, but what many don’t know about the Nordic country is the dramatic difference in pay between men and women.
Women still earn on average 14 to 18 per cent less than their male colleagues.
In Iceland’s capital, Reykjavik, at exactly 2.38pm, female employees walked out of their workplaces in protest against the country’s gender pay gap.
You may be wondering why 2.38pm on the dot?
That's because women are working for free from that point on when compared to their male colleagues.
Workers, who were encouraged by their unions, gathered in Austurvollur Square and stood together to fight for equal pay.
Based on trends in the past decade, it is estimated it would take 52 years to eliminate the gender pay gap in Iceland.
"Women’s Day Off" was originally held in Iceland back in 1975. That day, tens of thousands of women in Iceland protested.
In October 2005, "Women’s Day Off" was celebrated for the second time. That day, women walked out at 2.08pm.
In 2008, they walked out at 2.25pm.
According to the Iceland Review, “In eleven years, less than three minutes have been gained a year in narrowing the gender pay gap. Thus, if the same trend continues, not until 2068 will women and men enjoy equal pay.”
Gylfi Arnbjörnsson, president of ASÍ, the Icelandic Confederation of Labor said, “No one puts up with waiting 50 years to reach a goal. It’s just unacceptable to say we’ll correct this in 50 years.
"That’s a lifetime."
Wage disparity means women all across Europe are essentially working for free for part of their working day.
Women in Iceland standing together in the name of equality has since inspired woman across the globe to come together with more protests planned for the future.
