Experts of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women Commend Iceland’s Strong Gender Equality Policy, Ask about Women’s Representation in Leadership Positions and Health Services for Women
The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women today concluded its consideration of the ninth periodic report of Iceland, with Committee Experts commending Iceland’s strong gender equality policy, and asking about women’s representation in leadership positions and health services for women.
Elgun Safarov, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur for Iceland, said Iceland was a country with a strong gender equality policy and a high level of the representation of women in decision-making positions. Another Expert commended Iceland on numerous acts, legislative amendments and policies on gender equality, as well as the increased budget allocated to national machinery since the last report. Iceland was considered to be the top standard for many countries developing their gender policies.
One Committee Expert said Iceland had consistently ensured the representation of women in leadership roles, supported by quotas. Would Iceland consider mandating gender quotas within elections? Could up-to-date information be provided on the number of gender-neutral people represented in politics and senior posts? Would temporary special measures be used to increase women’s participation in other areas, including the media and police force?
A Committee Expert said women with psychosocial and substance abuse issues found it hard to seek health services. What measures were in place to counter the disparities between access in health care services? What measures were being taken by the State to prevent the forced sterilisation of women with mental disabilities? What was being done to provide a safe environment for lesbian, bisexual and transgender women in hospitals?
The delegation said the Icelandic Government did not currently see a reason to introduce gender quotas, as the percentage of women sat at 48 per cent in parliament and 51 per cent in municipal governments. The number of women within the police force continued to increase, and now comprised 50 per cent of graduated police forces. Out of 10 police commissioners in Iceland, there were four women, which was the highest level ever. There were no reforms regarding quotas in the police, but equality indicators had been developed for police commissioners.
All healthcare workers provided healthcare for all, the delegation said. Access to proper and unbiased health care for trans people was guaranteed. It could be more difficult for women with disabilities and migrant women to access health care services. For women battling with addiction, their problems were often complicated, and many suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. A non-governmental organization had been founded to provide support to these women. People with disabilities had the right to a legal right protector, and during surgeries, the protector was called in to ensure the person fully understood the issue and could make their own decisions. Forced sterilisation would be considered torture and was penalised under the Penal Code.
Bryndís Hlöðversdóttir, Permanent Secretary at the Office of the Prime Minister of Iceland and head of the delegation, said the Government was proud to have ranked first on the Global Gender Gap Index for 13 years in a row, being the only country to have closed more than 90 per cent of its gender gap. Reaching full gender equality was a key priority for the Government. In 2020, Iceland implemented a new comprehensive Act on Gender Equality, which ensured better protection for marginalised and vulnerable women. Ms. Hlöðversdóttir said Iceland had taken multiple steps towards fully implementing the Convention, but had yet to reach full gender equality.
In concluding remarks, Ms. Hlöðversdóttir extended Iceland’s sincere gratitude to the Committee for the constructive discussion. Iceland remained committed to the promotion and protection of women’s and girls’ rights and strove to find adequate solutions as new challenges arose.
Hiroko Akizuki, Committee Vice Chairperson, thanked the delegation for the constructive dialogue, which allowed the Committee to better understand the situation of women in Iceland.
The delegation of Iceland was comprised of representatives from the Prime Minister’s Office; the Department of Equality and Human Rights; the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour; the Ministry of Justice; and the Permanent Representative of Iceland to the United Nations Office at Geneva.
The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women’s eighty-fifth session is being held from 8 to 26 May. All documents relating to the Committee’s work, including reports submitted by States parties, can be found on the session’s webpage. Meeting summary releases can be found here. The webcast of the Committee’s public meetings can be accessed via the UN Web TV webpage.
The Committee will next meet at 5 p.m. on Friday, 26 May to adopts its concluding observations on the reports of China, Germany, Iceland, Sao Tome and Principe, Slovakia, Spain, Timor-Leste and Venezuela, which were reviewed during the eighty-fifth session, and close the session.
Report
The Committee has before it the ninth periodic report of Iceland (CEDAW/C/ISL/9).
Presentation of Report
BRYNDÍS HLÖÐVERSDÓTTIR, Permanent Secretary at the Office of the Prime Minister of Iceland and head of the delegation, said the Government was proud to have ranked first on the Global Gender Gap Index for 13 years in a row, being the only country to have closed more than 90 per cent of its gender gap. Reaching full gender equality was a key priority for the Government. In 2020, Iceland implemented a new comprehensive Act on Gender Equality, which ensured better protection for marginalised and vulnerable women. In 2019, Parliament passed a new piece of legislation on the termination of pregnancy, stipulating the right to terminate a pregnancy no later than the twenty second week. Since 2020 both parents had the right to six months parental leave each following the birth of their child, but they could only interchange up to six weeks of leave with the other. The policy aimed to encourage fathers to use their leave and become more invested in the care of their children.
Iceland’s unadjusted wage gap had decreased from 20.5 per cent in 2008 to 12.6 per cent in 2020. The remaining unadjusted pay gap was a result of a gender-segregated labour market. To address the situation, the Government had appointed an action group with social partners in late 2021 to promote the realisation of equal pay for work of equal value and correct the historical under-valuation of women’s traditional jobs in Icelandic society. The group was to submit proposals which would entail a system for a new valuation of jobs within the Government. In 2018 a law on equal pay certification came into effect, requiring companies and institutions to undergo an audit to ensure that they offered equal pay for equal work.
It was a big milestone when the Women’s Movement initiated the first emergency shelter for women surviving domestic violence in 1982. In recent years, three family justice centres for survivors of gender-based violence had opened throughout the country. In 2020 a Parliamentary resolution was passed on prevention among children and young people against sexual and gender-based violence. The legal status of survivors of sexual offences was strengthened with amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedure in June 2022. A new action plan for dealing with sexual violence was introduced in March 2023. Since 2006 specialised psychological services and treatment had been provided for those who used violence in close relationships by Heimilisfriður, a psychology clinic. The Government recently funded the initiative “Take the step”, a new remedy for individuals who had used or felt they were likely to use sexual violence, and wanted to seek help.
During the pandemic, the Government decided not to impose lockdowns on pre-schools and compulsory schools and youth centres for children and ensured that services for survivors of violence remained open. A special task force to coordinate actions against violence was established, with a special focus on women, children, and other vulnerable groups.
Earlier this month, Iceland jumped to the fifth place on the Rainbow Europe Map and to the first place on Transgender Europe’s Trans Rights Map. In 2019, the Parliament passed an Act on Gender Autonomy that ensured the right of every person 18 years and older to change their gender registration through an administrative self-identification process. No medical requirements were needed for the gender registration change. The Government was working on a new gender equality action programme for 2024 to 2027, which included projects that aimed to prevent multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination. Ms. Hlöðversdóttir said Iceland had taken multiple steps towards fully implementing the Convention, but had yet to reach full gender equality. The exchange today was a valuable opportunity to reflect on commitments made, and challenges that remained.
Questions by a Committee Expert
ELGUN SAFAROV, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur for Iceland, said Iceland was a country with a strong gender equality policy and a high level of the representation of women in decision-making positions. He appreciated the State party’s activities for the harmonisation of the legislation and measures included for the adoption of international standards. Iceland should further accept the individual complaints procedures to other United Nations Conventions. When would the Icelandic Government directly incorporate the Convention into national law? How many times had judges referred to the Convention in court cases? What was the main problem for the implementation of article 180 of the Penal Code, especially crimes on the grounds of sex? What about vertical and horizontal discrimination on the grounds of sex?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said there was a special human rights governmental webpage which covered the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women and other Conventions. Iceland’s ninth periodic report had been published online in both English and Icelandic. The Government intended to introduce a special action in the new gender equality action programme on increasing knowledge of the Convention among stakeholders and the public. A course on the Convention had not been specifically adopted for judges, but there was training on other key issues including digital violence. It had become a tradition in Iceland to adapt domestic legislation to human rights Conventions, rather than incorporate them in their entirety. Iceland enacted its first legislation on gender equality in 1975. The first gender equality plan developed in Iceland in 1986 was based on the Convention. The Convention had been implemented through legislative amendments, government programmes and grants provided to civil society organizations.
The Government had focused strongly to prevent gender-based violence over recent years, including through legislative amendments. Several changes had been made to the Penal Code, including through the definition of rape, to include the concept of consent. Police and prosecutors needed to improve their handling of sexual and gender-based violence. An action plan on sexual offences had been developed. It took longer for Iceland to implement Conventions into national legislation, due to the way it was integrated. This also meant the Government took longer to ratify Optional Protocols.
Questions by a Committee Expert
A Committee Expert asked about the new law on gender autonomy and self-identification. What were the implications of this law on female-only spaces, including prisons and bathrooms? How would data be gathered, including on the gender pay gap? Would language be amended to use “people” instead of women when referring to pregnancy?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said there had been no cases regarding safe spaces for women or trans women which had gone before the courts. Trans women had not been denied access to a bathroom or changing room. The word “women” was used in relation to carrying a child and giving birth, as well as “others” who could carry a child and give birth. The term women was still used within legislation. From 6 of January 2023, 290 individuals had changed their gender registration; 153 of these people now identified as “gender neutral”.
Questions by Committee Experts
A Committee Expert commended Iceland on numerous acts, legislative amendments and policies on gender equality, as well as the increased budget allocated to national machinery since the last report. Iceland was considered to be the top standard for many countries developing their gender policies. Iceland had not established a national human rights institution in compliance with the Paris Principles. What was the timeline for establishing a human rights commission? How would the establishment be open and transparent? Would Iceland adopt a fourth national action plan on women, peace and security? What were the highlights of the previous action plan?
Another Committee Expert said Iceland had consistently ensured the representation of women in leadership roles, supported by quotas. Would Iceland consider mandating gender quotas within elections? Could up-to-date information be provided on the number of gender-neutral people represented in politics and senior posts? Would temporary special measures be used to increase women’s participation in other areas, including the media and police force? What measures had been introduced over the past five years? Were there any specific temporary special measures introduced to alleviate the impact of the pandemic?
Responses by the Delegation
As part of the preparation for the national human rights institution, a paper was published which assessed the situation of human rights in Iceland. The Prime Minister had held open consultations on human rights throughout the country, meeting with a range of stakeholders, including those from vulnerable populations. Until the establishment of the national human rights institution, the human rights centre partially filled this role. The Directorate of Equality was well equipped to oversee gender equality throughout the country. It was true that the third national action plan for women, peace and security had expired. The findings for its evaluation were being used for the fourth. There was room for improvement across ministries. Iceland was not engaged actively in peacekeeping, but seconded experts to United Nations agencies in conflict-affected areas. The focus there was on gender mainstreaming. Iceland had funded a position in Brussels on women, peace and security for decades.
The number of women within the police force continued to increase, and now comprised 50 per cent of graduated police forces. Out of 10 police commissioners in Iceland, there were four women, which was the highest level ever. There were no reforms regarding quotas in the police, but equality indicators had been developed for police commissioners. Currently, the Icelandic Government did not see a reason to introduce gender quotas, as the percentage of women sat at 48 per cent in parliament and 51 per cent in municipal governments. The new Equality Act from 2020 allowed for special temporary measures. Positions could be targeted only towards women, if it was being done to ensure more equal gender representation. This measure aimed to increase the number of women in the police force. The Icelandic Government had put an emphasis on gender equality in its response to the pandemic. All parents supporting children were paid a COVID-19 supplement. The delegation said quotas would apply to women if they were registered in Iceland.
Questions by Committee Experts
An Expert said Iceland’s persistently high rates of violence against women were concerning. Would the State party consider a stand-alone law on gender-based violence? Could more information about online violence of women be provided? Could more information on any revision process of the Constitution be provided, particularly in relation to equality and prohibiting discrimination against genotypes, including appearance, weight, health and distinctive human characteristics and capacities as determined by genes?
Another Expert said Iceland had made many efforts to fight against trafficking, including through amending legislation. Had any cases led to convictions for trafficking? Had a new national action plan on trafficking been adopted? What had been done to analyse data from all sources? Had regulations concerning au pairs been revised? Were foreign victims informed of their rights, including a reflective period and the rights to a residence permit?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said there was a book called the Daughters of Iceland which shed light on the women of Iceland and which had broken new ground. Iceland was very proud of this. Iceland was concerned about the increase in gender-based violence and had been taking steps to combat this, including improving legislation and developing action plans. The Budapest Convention had been used in many cases, particularly regarding issues of sexual violence on the internet.
Reaching migrant women was a challenge, especially as some could be dependent on Icelandic husbands for visas. Addressing violence for this group was extremely important. The Government supported organizations to reach out to migrant women and inform them of their rights. Iceland had seen the highest rise in asylum applications in the past year. A special focus had been put on informing refugee women of their rights and the support which was available to them. The Government was continuing efforts to comprehensively review the Constitution, particularly the human rights section. The work would take into account the discussion carried out on genome types. Unaccompanied minors were at risk of becoming victims of human trafficking. Increased efforts would be made on education for this group, and on the development of tools of those working within the education system.
Questions by Committee Experts
A Committee Expert asked if domestic violence shelters were fully accessible?
Another Expert asked about female genital mutilation; could a clarification on criminalisation be provided? Were there special regulations for migrant women on domestic violence?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said there were more challenges when it came to persons with disabilities. A national action plan was currently being developed on this, with a section focused on women with disabilities and violence and their access and specific needs when it came to support. Legislation changes had been made to make it easier to investigate and prosecute cases of trafficking. Female genital mutilation was included in the Penal Code and it was criminalised. A new article was added to the Equality Act on intersectionality, which was a major step forward for those who considered themselves violated under more than one area of the Act; for example, women with disabilities.
Questions by Committee Expert
A Committee Expert acknowledged Iceland’s progress in women’s representation, including 48 per cent of women in parliament. Iceland was the first country in the world to have a female Head of State and female Prime Minister at the same time. How did the State party plan to support more diverse women in elections? Were there plans to increase the number of female judges? What was the current number of women with disabilities, trans women and ethnic minority women, represented in elections? Were there special provisions around hate speech for women in parliament? What efforts were being made to increase women’s representation in the foreign service? What measures had been taken to increase the participation of girls in sport?
ELGUN SAFAROV, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur for Iceland, asked what stopped Iceland from ratifying the Convention on Migrant Workers? How was the United Nations Convention on Statelessness implemented into national law?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said efforts had been made to increase the participation of women in the foreign service; 50 per cent of all Directors General in the Ministry were women. Iceland made efforts to deploy female ambassadors but this was challenging. Iceland was trying to enable women of foreign descent to facilitate their way to the negotiation table. Iceland was a small country without a military, and therefore did not have a huge representation overseas.
The Government had launched an incentive campaign in the last local election with the aim of increasing candidate diversity. Action had been introduced regarding local governments which encouraged the participation of those from diverse backgrounds. With the passing of the Act of Equal Status and Equal Rights, there had been a provision on gender-based discrimination in afterschool sports and leisure activities. Earlier this month, the Football Association of Iceland decided to appoint a working group on gender equality. In Iceland, women made up 43 per cent in the Supreme Court
A special system was in place for assisting with the family reunification of refugees. The State was supporting the Icelandic Red Cross to help vulnerable people fill in applications and go through the procedure. Financial support was then available to these people for the first two years. Several measures had been enacted to combat hate speech, including through the Icelandic centre for safer internet, which sought to promote safe and positive use of the internet to children, parents, teachers and the information technology industry. The Ministry of Education, Science and Culture had implemented a project “No hate” which aimed to fight racial prejudice and hate propaganda. In 2022 a working group was appointed by the Prime Minister against hate speech to examine whether a government plan was needed against hate speech; this had resulted in a plan with 22 actions to combat hate speech. The article on hate speech within the Penal Code had also been amended. There was no data on the representation of minority women but the Government was working on this.
Questions by a Committee Expert
A Committee Expert said Icelandic women were extremely self-sufficient and independent. Iceland was aiming to increase the proportion of female professors to 26 per cent by 2027; how would this be achieved? How could more women be encouraged to apply for decision-making positions in universities? How did the Government encourage women to choose more non-traditional subjects to diversify the academic and career choices of men and women? Had measures been taken to provide gender-sensitive teaching materials nationwide?
Responses by the Delegation
Icelandic teachers were cognitive of the importance of eliminating gender stereotypes, the delegation said. All new teaching materials were reviewed prior to publication to ensure the strictest gender equality was followed in texts and images. To clarify, Iceland aimed to increase women’s participation in higher education positions to 36 per cent by 2027. Videos of women in the limelight were displayed on social media. The Ministry of Education allotted a grant to the competition “the Box” which was intended to promote technology and engineering disciplines among girls in secondary schools. The State was obligated to guarantee access to education to all girls until the age of 18.
The delegation said moving the Human Rights Ministry to the Prime Minister’s Office had enhanced gender mainstreaming throughout the State’s ministries. There was one court which had made reference to the Convention. There was room for improvement when it came to statistics and two full-time positions had been appointed in this regard.
Questions by a Committee Expert
A Committee Expert commended Iceland for being first in the Global Gender Pay Gap and for closing 90 per cent of its gender pay gap, as well as on the Act on Equal Pay Certification. What measures were being taken to increase the number of women from ethnic minorities joining the labour force? What was being done to protect migrant workers against exploitation? Was there a complaint mechanism available to these workers? The parental leave was a very good development; increasing to 6 months for each parent, with 90 per cent of Icelandic fathers taking paternity leave after the birth of their children. What was the impact of this Act on single mothers? Did the State party have an estimated number of sexual harassment cases within the police force?
Responses by the Delegation
Actions had been taken to try and stop sexual harassment and bullying within the police force, the delegation said. Few cases of sexual harassment had been brought forward. The numbers did not reflect the number of victims or perpetrators. It was hoped that there would be a report on this later this year. The unemployment rate was high among immigrants in Iceland; 47 per cent of those were unemployed. Work needed to be done with it came to migrant women and their protection in the labour market. An action plan on matters of immigrants had been in place for several years, but there had not been a strategy. Iceland was working on the first strategy for immigrants and refugees, and was working with stakeholders and immigrants themselves to determine how to solve the issues. The Government worked with immigrants who were unemployed and helped them to find work. There was also a special programme offering support to refugee women, helping them to find and sustain a job, in line with their skillset. Iceland had an equality complaints committee which was an independent and autonomous entity.
Questions by a Committee Expert
A Committee Expert said women with psychosocial and substance abuse issues found it hard to seek health services. What measures were in place to counter the disparities between access in health care services? What was being done to ensure prenatal care and access to safe abortion, among other health services, for all groups of women? What was the timeline for adopting changes in legislation for criminalising forced sterilisation? What were the measures taken by the State to prevent the forced sterilisation of women with mental disabilities? The level of deaths from Alzheimer’s and dementia in Iceland was one of the highest. What measures were being taken to address the high rates of Alzheimer’s among women? What was being done to provide a safe environment for lesbian, bisexual and transgender women in hospitals?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said all healthcare workers provided healthcare for all. Access to proper and unbiased health care for trans people was guaranteed. It could be more difficult for women with disabilities and migrant women to access health care services. For women battling with addiction, their problems were often complicated, and many suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. A non-governmental organization had been founded to provide support to these women. People with disabilities had the right to a legal right protector, and during surgeries, the protector was called in to ensure the person fully understood the issue and could make their own decisions. All women had the option to receive counselling and information on contraception. Forced sterilisation would be considered torture and was penalised under the Penal Code.
Questions by Committee Experts
A Committee Expert commended the State party for Constitutional and legislative provisions to protect the rights of all people on the basis of equality. What strategic plans were envisaged to appoint female chairs and address the persistent pay gaps in sports? How did the State party plan to reform its social welfare benefit system? Had the State party given attention to inclusive tax benefits for women?
Another Expert asked if there would be more gender informed regional plans? How would women farmers’ involvement in sustainable food production be enhanced? What efforts were being taken to provide a gender sensitive approach in reception centres for asylum seekers?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said that in 2020, the agreement on the women’s loan guarantee fund, which provided loan guarantees to companies with a majority of women, was renewed for four years by the Prime Minister. Since 1991, annual grants had been allocated to female entrepreneurs and their companies; 75 million Icelandic krona were allocated annually to an average of 10 women per year. A project was launched which applied lower airfares from rural areas to the capital. Changes had been made to value added tax (VAT), including lowering the tax ratios on menstrual products. All changes to the tax codes were subject to gender assessment.
A report was published on employment opportunities for women in rural areas. The study explored the interviewee’s opinion on job opportunities, and on the gender division of jobs, among other topics. The report suggested that a more detailed analysis of the gender labour market should be made. There were specific women gatherings for asylum women, and nurses had been hired to the asylum centres to provide better health care to asylum seekers. Menstrual products were provided free of charge in all the centres to ensure people did not have to spend their weekly allowance on this. The prison system in Iceland was being reviewed, and there would be increased training for prison staff about the conditions of women in prison. A strategy plan on dementia was published in 2020 and included 24 actions and an overall audit. A special dashboard would be published to measure the impact of the audit.
Questions by Committee Experts
An Expert said the Committee was amazed by Iceland in many respects. The equal pay law was a great law and was important for countries all over the world. How long did it take to adopt this revolutionary law?
Another Expert asked about making rural areas more economically productive?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said the provisions on the equal pay certification were adopted in 2017. A total of 489 companies had implemented the standard and received equal pay certification. This was around 75 per cent of those that the provision was intended to reach. It had taken six years so far and was still a work in progress. The Government felt it was too early to evaluate the impact but would monitor this. There were three women chairs of corporations in Iceland. The Government had ambitions to address gender gaps in State-owned enterprises. Tourism was the fastest growing industry in Iceland and it created a lot of new opportunities.
Questions by a Committee Expert
ELGUN SAFAROV, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur for Iceland, asked for clarification on the special legal possibilities to allow marriage before the age of 18? What kind of legal support measures were in place to protect women in divorce proceedings? How was the equality principle applied in terms of property rights and could information be provided on whether alimony to children was provided after a divorce?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said under special circumstances, if it was in the best interests of the child, a marriage of those between 16 and 18 which took place outside Iceland could be recognised within the country. Alimony payments were not stopped for children after divorce. Property rights were handled in accordance with the marriage, which usually was a 50/50 split of the property between the husband and wife.
Closing Remarks
BRYNDÍS HLÖÐVERSDÓTTIR, Permanent Secretary at the Office of the Prime Minister of Iceland and head of the delegation, extended Iceland’s sincere gratitude to the Committee for the constructive discussion. Gender equality needed to be considered at all levels in policy making. Iceland remained committed to the promotion and protection of women’s and girls’ rights and strove to find adequate solutions as new challenges arose.
HIROKO AKIZUKI, Committee Vice Chairperson, thanked the delegation for the constructive dialogue, which allowed the Committee to better understand the situation of women in Iceland.
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