For international woman's day look towards Iceland

Long title I know, but I couldn't find the witty short version. Maybe it doesn't need some sound bite either as after yesterday's mass celebration I have found a near Utopia. I say near because no one is perfect, but for sure Iceland has taken the most pro active step in female equality. However may I also state it took a drastic action 40 years ago to get it there.

To go forward let me go backwards a bit with a brief history lesson. In October 1975 the majority of the female population of Iceland went on strike for one day. Not just in the work place but also in the home, for 24 hours women refused to do anything. The country came to a near standstill,schools closed, as did factories, and places like banks the big bosses had to get behind the counters just to keep them open. Sounds a bit extreme,but remember females are 52% give or take, of the population worldwide.

The outcome of those 24 hours in Iceland was they were the first country in the free world to vote in a female president. Now fast forward forty years and it has been declared that in all businesses in Iceland they are obliged to prove pay equality in the work place. When write down it sounds like very little, but if you look at the real figures the lack of equality of pay in the work place is a very blatant yet legally allowed action. It's demoralising, and to be honest down right insulting, to over 50% of the population, yet it's as socially acceptable now as it was 100 + years ago.

Now the actions of Iceland suddenly sound a little more ground breaking. This one island nation has basically put most of the western world to shame not just once but for the last forty years. A small country with a far smaller economy yet higher quality of life has made all of Europe and America look positively  medieval with their pay discrimination.

It's been one of the main protest points through out the world, particularly yesterday when we celebrated women, well that and the unedited pink tax. But one small nation has proved it can be changed, and in the case of Iceland, has been changed. So time for the rest of the world to wake up and smell the coffee. In the meantime, I'm looking at the pros and cons of immigrating for all so many reasons, but the fact I would be seen as an equal is a big pro.