Meghan Murphy the Canadian a freelance writer, journalist and founding editor of Feminist Current, has published an article on Aljazeera titled ‘Creating gender equity: Lessons from Iceland’ highlighting the sexually liberal country has not only criminalised the purchase of sex, but has also banned strip clubs. Murphy states “…Since the economic crash in 2008, the country has turned itself around in more ways than one. Iceland ranked first place in the 2012 Global Gender Gap report, moving up from number 4 in 2008. Based on factors like economic participation and opportunity (so, looking at things like wage equality and the number of women in the labour force and in positions of power), educational attainment (based on factors such as female literacy and the number of women enrolled in higher education), health and survival (which looks at life expectancy and mortality rates), and political empowerment (which takes into account the number of women holding political office as well as the number of female heads of state); this report ranks countries throughout the world. The US, on the other hand, ranked 22nd, having moved down a few notches from 17th place in 2011. …Unlike the US, Iceland dealt with the crash by prosecuting those responsible, holding banks accountable, minimising, and in some cases forgiving individual household debts completely, cutting government spending and raising taxes. They also came to the rather radical conclusion that a male-dominated economy and business culture were part of what led to the crash in the first place. In response, Iceland developed a legislation that ensured companies' boards were composed of 40 percent women and incorporated what they called "feminine values" into the "mainly male spheres of private equity, wealth management and corporate advice". Throughout all this, the new government made maintaining Iceland's extensive welfare system a priority, protecting the middle and working classes above the rich. The country learned the consequences of right-wing privatisation policies and responded accordingly.”  Inspired by Meghan Murphy, Aljazeera ow.ly/k4aRR Image source feministcurrent ow.ly/k4bOA Creating gender equity: Lessons from Iceland (May 2 2013)

 

Meghan Murphy the Canadian a freelance writer, journalist and founding editor of Feminist Current, has published an article on Aljazeera titled ‘Creating gender equity: Lessons from Iceland’ highlighting the sexually liberal country has not only criminalised the purchase of sex, but has also banned strip clubs. Murphy states “…Since the economic crash in 2008, the country has turned itself around in more ways than one. Iceland ranked first place in the 2012 Global Gender Gap report, moving up from number 4 in 2008. Based on factors like economic participation and opportunity (so, looking at things like wage equality and the number of women in the labour force and in positions of power), educational attainment (based on factors such as female literacy and the number of women enrolled in higher education), health and survival (which looks at life expectancy and mortality rates), and political empowerment (which takes into account the number of women holding political office as well as the number of female heads of state); this report ranks countries throughout the world. The US, on the other hand, ranked 22nd, having moved down a few notches from 17th place in 2011. …Unlike the US, Iceland dealt with the crash by prosecuting those responsible, holding banks accountable, minimising, and in some cases forgiving individual household debts completely, cutting government spending and raising taxes. They also came to the rather radical conclusion that a male-dominated economy and business culture were part of what led to the crash in the first place. In response, Iceland developed a legislation that ensured companies’ boards were composed of 40 percent women and incorporated what they called “feminine values” into the “mainly male spheres of private equity, wealth management and corporate advice”. Throughout all this, the new government made maintaining Iceland’s extensive welfare system a priority, protecting the middle and working classes above the rich. The country learned the consequences of right-wing privatisation policies and responded accordingly.”

 

Inspired by Meghan Murphy, Aljazeera ow.ly/k4aRR Image source feministcurrent ow.ly/k4bOA