When looking throughout history one can see big changes in the role of men and women in the world. In the past 65 years there have been a lot of controversy on the subject and transformation. In doing research about Iceland and its history on the topic, Iceland has become a very gender equalities country. The Norse society in early settlement of Iceland was male dominated. And as we take a deeper look into Iceland and how the role of men and women has changed, we can see huge differences. In the Norse civilization it was very unlikely that a man would weave cloth and that a woman would participate in a Viking raid. Although they clearly participated in journeys of exploration and settlement, to places such as Iceland and Vínland; women did not participate in trading or raiding parties. Women's responsibilities were clearly defined to be domestic. Members of either sex who crossed the gender line were, at very least, ostracized by society. Even though women had very domesticated duties in Iceland’s Norse societies, women were respected and had great freedom. Especially when compared to other European societies of that era. The woman managed the finances of the family and ran the farm in their husband's absence. In widowhood, they could be rich and important landowners. (The Role of Women in Viking Society, Hurstwic) This respect of women and the freedom that they had increased over time. Now Iceland is considered one of the most gender quality counties of the world. Iceland approved equal inheritance rights for men and women in 1850. And also in 1850 women gained the same inheritance rights as men; until then daughters only had the right to one third of the inheritance. (Why is Iceland the World’s Global Leader in Gender Equality, Women in Parliaments) In 1922, the first woman was elected to the Icelandic Parliament. The equality continues when the world wide “Red Stocking” movement, which raised awareness on various gender equality issues, was instituted in 1970; that same year the first female Cabinet Minister was elected. For the fifth year in a row, Iceland had held the narrowest gender gap in the world. Men and women have close to the same roles in their society. The have made improvements in economic participation and opportunity, and also in political empowerment. Iceland’s goal is that all individuals should have equal opportunities to benefit from their own originality and to advance their abilities, regardless of gender. Citations Short, W. (1999). Hurstwic: The Role of Women in Viking Society. Retrieved February 25, 2015, from http://www.hurstwic.org/history/articles/society/text/women.htm WHY IS ICELAND THE WORLD'S GLOBAL LEADER IN GENDER EQUALITY? (2014, March 27). Retrieved February 25, 2015, from http://www.womens-forum.com/stories/why-is-iceland-the-world-s-global-leader-in-gender-equality/131 Zahidi, S. (2013, October 24). Top 10 most gender equal countries in the world. Retrieved February 25, 2015, from https://agenda.weforum.org/2013/10/top-10-most-gender-equal-countries-in-the-world/ Gender Equality. (2009). Retrieved February 25, 2015, from http://eng.velferdarraduneyti.is/departments/gender-equality/
0 Comments
|
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
April 2015
Categories |