June 19th was Women’s Rights Day in Iceland, held to celebrate the 102nd anniversary of Icelandic women receiving voting rights. On this occasion, the Icelandic National Broadcasting Agency RÚV talked to the country’s first lady, Eliza Reid, about where Iceland stands on matters of gender equality.
Eliza said that she is very interested in issues of gender equality and very proud to live in Iceland. The country has consistently ranked at the top of the world when it comes to gender equality. “But we have a lot left to do”, she noted, “We can’t just relax and think we’re the best in the world.” She mentioned in particular that there is too much gender-related violence in Icelandic society. “We also have to listen to more music by women and pay better attention to our female athletes”, she added.
The first lady also touched on the importance of being aware of and combating gender stereotypes, encouraging men to be fearless in pursuing jobs in traditionally female dominated professions, as, for example, nurses and preschool teachers.
