The best country in the world for women: 'We are not a feminist's paradise'

Girls are taught to be fearless and brave and not to let others' opinions influence them

Article Description

Author, Sofia Battiza

Position, BBC 100 Women

December 9, 2024

**Pros of the Title:**  

1. **Intriguing Contrast**: Combines praise ("best country for women") with a thought-provoking disclaimer ("not a feminist's paradise").  

2. **Balanced Tone**: Appeals to a broad audience by avoiding extremes while acknowledging imperfections.  

3. **Curiosity-Driven**: Sparks interest in learning what makes it the "best" while addressing its limitations.  

4. **Relevant**: Ties into global discussions about gender equality and societal progress.  

**Cons of the Title:**  

1. **Ambiguity**: Does not specify the country, potentially missing initial clicks from users looking for direct information.  

2. **Potential Controversy**: The phrase "not a feminist's paradise" might polarize some audiences.  

3. **Limited SEO Value**: A specific country name would enhance searchability. 

                                                                    

When it comes to gender equality in the world, Iceland consistently ranks ahead of other countries and has topped the Global Gender Gap Index for 15 years.

New parents here get easy leave and almost 90% of working-age women have jobs, while almost half of the country's MPs are also women.

BBC 100 Women has tried to find out what the country is doing and is it as easy for women in this country as we hear about them?

It is a cold winter morning in Reykjavik where dozens of girls are picking up firewood with great determination. At the same time, she shouts loudly, “I am very strong.”

She is studying in one of 17 nursery schools in Iceland where students are taught using a method (jali) that completely rejects traditional gender stereotypes.

“Two-year-olds have formed an idea in their minds of what it means to be a boy or a girl, and this limits them for the rest of their lives,” says Margaret Pala Olafsdottir, the founder of the method.

In jali schools, boys and girls are kept separate most of the time and encouraged to do things that are traditionally attributed to the opposite sex.

When it comes to gender equality in the world, Iceland consistently ranks ahead of other countries.

Girls are taught to be fearless and brave, and not to let other people's opinions influence them.

In addition to carrying firewood, they sometimes walk barefoot in the snow.

Boys comb each other's hair, massage each other, and even compliment each other with things like, "You look great today."

"Most boys like to be apart and independent. We teach them to be gentle, kind and caring towards others, to help each other and to listen to others," says Vlafossdottir.

This approach to education is gaining popularity in a country that is already at the forefront of gender equality.

According to the World Economic Forum, it is the only country in the world where the gender gap in areas such as health, education and the economy has been closed by more than 90%.

In 2018, it became the first country in the world where companies had to prove that they paid men and women the same for their work... otherwise they risked heavy fines.

According to the European Commission, almost 90% of working-age women here have jobs, a much higher rate than in the European Union, where less than 68% of women had jobs in 2021.

In Iceland, each parent is given six months of leave with 80 percent of their salary after the birth of a child.

Many people attribute this positive change to Iceland's childcare policy. Here, each parent is given six months of leave (three months for the mother and three months for the father) with 80 percent of their salary after the birth of a child.

"I have never been pressured to not have children because I am working," says Katrin, who works for a farming company.

She has five children, all under the age of 10.

"This is no feminist's paradise."

But a group of women in Iceland are furious with their government and have filed a lawsuit with the European Court of Human Rights.

The plaintiffs' complaints have one thing in common: all of these women had filed complaints of rape or sexual assault with the police, but their cases were dismissed before they could reach court.

These women say that their country's justice system is systematically failing women.

Government figures show that 80% of sexual violence cases against women go unpunished.

A quarter of women in Iceland have been raped or attempted raped, according to statistics.

According to the World Health Organization, 40% of women in Iceland have experienced physical or sexual violence.

But women say that men are rarely prosecuted in their country because the police do not properly investigate cases and allegations of rape against men due to a lack of government funding.

“In many cases, key witnesses are not questioned, reports from doctors and mental health professionals are ignored, and even confessions from rapists are not taken seriously,” says Gudrun Jónsdóttir, an activist with an NGO that helps women.

According to the World Health Organization, 40 percent of women in Iceland have experienced physical or sexual violence.

"Women's allegations are not taken seriously and this is completely unacceptable. We will not tolerate this any longer."

According to government figures, 80 percent of sexual violence cases against women do not result in any results.

"Our country is called a feminist paradise, but it is not at all like that. This is just political gimmickry," says Hilda Harand, of Ofgar, another organization that supports victims of sexual violence.

Maria, the woman who filed a complaint against the government at the European Court of Human Rights, says she provided the police with evidence of the crime committed against her, witnesses, photos of injuries and even confessional messages from the accused.

The director of the Public Prosecution Service says the evidence provided was sufficient to prosecute the case, but the police took so long to investigate the incident that the case was dropped.

"I couldn't leave my house for three years, I couldn't leave the house at night and I never leave the house alone," Maria says.

"It's a small country and I'm always worried about my safety here."

Iceland's police commission has apologized for the failure of its force in this case.

In 2019, a rape suspect was acquitted by a court and there were protests in the country due to some of the sentences delivered by the judge during this case.

While acquitting the suspect, the judge said that it would not be possible for him to take off the woman's tight leather trousers.

‘If there is gender-based violence in the country, it means our measures are not enough: President Halla Tomasdóttir

The same judge also heard a different case in which a woman almost died from injuries to her vagina. The judge said during that case that the woman was participating in ‘rough sex’.

Hulda says that such examples make some men feel they can get away with sexual violence cases.

‘Men know that they will not have to face the consequences of their actions. Even if you are found guilty of rape, it is the judge’s prerogative to sentence you and you may never go to prison.’

Gudrun, referring to these examples, says that ‘dark shadows are hanging over our society.’

Insufficient government measures

The Icelandic government told the BBC that it supports the campaign to end sexual violence.

A government spokesman said: “Iceland has been a world leader in gender equality, but there is still room for improvement.”

However, Icelandic President Halla Tomasdóttir believes that the government’s efforts to end sexual violence are not enough.

“I don’t think the government’s efforts are enough,” she said. “We need to improve our justice system and our culture. As long as sexual violence is being reported, we will say that the measures we have taken are not enough.”

However, she said that Iceland is one of the best places in the world for women and that she hopes to achieve its gender equality goals by 2030.

Icelandic President Halla Tomasdóttir believes that government measures to end sexual violence are insufficient.

Women's rights activist Hilda also says that Icelandic society is changing and she believes that conditions for women will improve.

"My daughters have been receiving sex education since the first grade," she says. "They know basic things like their own will and boundaries. I wish I had known these things at their age."

Related Topics:

 #Children #Europe #Women #Education #Hundred_Women