What is the Women's Day Off?
And can I take one?
How do you show the value of your work?
Women in Iceland came up with a creative way back in 1975.
They called it “Kvennafri1”or “Women’s Day Off.”
But what was the Women’s Day Off – and how did it happen?
I was curious…
In the early 1970s, an Icelandic feminist group called the Redstockings wanted to raise awareness of issues that affected women – and highlight the valuable role women played in society.
They had discussed having a women’s strike to illustrate women’s contributions, but the idea didn’t take off, as a strike based on gender was considered illegal in Iceland at that time.
But opportunity presented itself in 1975 when the United Nations kicked off an “International Women’s Year” to advance women’s rights around the world.
As part of the Women’s Year, various countries organized events to address gender discrimination and women’s issues.
To mark the Woman’s Year in Iceland, the prime minister’s office formed a committee with representatives from the five biggest women’s organizations in the country.
They wanted the committee to be politically diverse to ensure their event would reflect the views of women across Iceland.
Though their backgrounds, ages, and political beliefs differed, the committee agreed that women were not being treated fairly in Iceland – and their contribution to the country was underestimated.
Women who worked in factories and offices were paid much less than men.
Housewives saw their contributions to the family and home belittled, and farmers’ wives saw their work on the farm unrecognized.
The committee agreed that across Iceland, whether women worked in or out of the home, their work was underpaid, undervalued, and unappreciated.
Perhaps if women stopped working for a day, society would understand how valuable they were.
The idea of a strike was suggested by members of the Redstockings, but some of the committee members felt a strike was too extreme.
Women could lose their jobs if they went on strike.
And the word “strike” also left some feeling uneasy.
Then Valborg Bentsdottir, a 70-year-old member of a Center political party from the old feminists, proposed an alternative.
“Strike? Is that what you don’t like?” she asked the committee.
“Why don’t you then just call it ‘a day off’?”
With the wording agreed, the committee decided that on October 24, 1975, women across Iceland would not work at home or in the office to prove their economic value.
They called their event “Kvennafri” – or the “Day Off.”
With just three months to prepare, the committee moved quickly to spread the word across Iceland, making phone calls, writing articles, and giving interviews with the media.
They circulated 47,000 copies of a letter that said, “Why A Day Off for Women?” explaining the rationale behind their initiative.
They worked together, liaising with various unions and women’s groups to get their message across and persuade other women to take part in the day off.
And their efforts worked.
On October 24, a whopping 90 percent of the women in Iceland took the day off.
Or rather, they did not work in their normal paid (or unpaid) roles.
That day in Reykjavik, an estimated 25,000 women from all walks of life gathered to sing, listen to speeches, and discuss the issues.
It’s a staggering number when you consider that Iceland’s population was just 220,000 at the time.
Gathered in the crowd were women of all ages, from grannies to young children. There were housewives, office and factory workers, single mothers, students – all coming together to have their voices heard and their contributions recognized.
The women who spoke that day represented the diverse roles women played in society – a housewife, a worker, a representative of the women’s movement, a representative of the trade union, and two Members of Parliament.
“We are not demanding any special wage increase,” said spokeswoman Gerdur Steinthorsdottir.
“We are only showing that it is a great injustice that women receive lower wages.
“The work of the housewife has been most grossly undervalued. It is particularly important that we show the men what our work in the home means.”
And the value of women’s work was evident that day.
The telephone system crashed, as there were no women working as operators.
There were no newspapers, because there were no women to do the typesetting.
The national airline had to cancel flights, as there were no flight attendants.
Banks brought executives to work as cashiers, while many factories and shops were forced to close.
It was, as one woman described, “a quiet revolution.”
And with no women to teach or run nurseries, men had to stay home to watch their children, or take their children to the office with them.
Men were also responsible for preparing dinner for the family, which might explain why sausages – an easy and kid-friendly meal – were sold out across the country.
Perhaps that’s why the Women’s Day Off is known by another name – “The Long Friday.”
And not only did it communicate a message, it led to change.
“What happened that day was the first step for women’s emancipation in Iceland,” said Vigdis Finnbogadottir, who would go on to become the world’s first democratically elected female president.
“It completely paralyzed the country, and opened the eyes of many men.”
The following year, Iceland’s Parliament passed the Gender Equality Act, a law prohibiting wage discrimination based on gender.
More women were elected into Iceland’s Parliament, and in 1980, Iceland elected its first female president.
But despite this progress, Iceland – like so many places in the world – still has far to go to resolve the issues women raised in 1975.
But the spirit of Kvennafri lives on – and women in Iceland have continued to protest income inequality by holding events on the anniversary of Women’s Day Off, reminding the country that there is still much work to do.
Though instead of taking the day off, women have finished work early, to reflect that the wage gap continues to exist in Iceland.
One more thing…
Curious what the atmosphere was like in Reykjavik during Kvennafri in 1975?
You can listen to the songs that were sung at the 1975 Reykjavik rally on this album, Afram stelpur (Translation: Go Girls!).
You can also see more from that day in this video:
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Did you hear about the $78 meal at Newark Airport? It was followed by an “apology” that wasn’t worth $78. Columnist David Brooks is #sorrynotsorry.
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Improve Your Communication - Today’s Tip
I share a lot of communication tips on LinkedIn (please connect or follow me if you aren’t already), but here’s an extra one, inspired by an article I read this week about Ms. Dolly Parton.
If you want to get in touch with Dolly, you don’t text her.
You don’t email her.
You fax her.
Because that’s how Dolly likes to communicate.
Sometimes I like to send voice messages.
But I know one person who hates voices messages — so I don’t send him voice messages.
Faxing Dolly (or not sending voice messages to someone who hates them) is a sign of respect — and it shows that you’re listening.
Remember: Effective communication is about your audience.
So the next time you’re trying to communicate with someone, think about them, and how they like to receive information.
And if you have Dolly’s number, please fax her my details. She’s a busy lady and I’d be happy to help with her communication so she can focus on songwriting.
How Can I Help?
I’ll keep saying it: Communication matters.
Poor communication costs you — money, relationships and your reputation.
But if you want to improve your communication (and get all the good things that come with that), I’m your gal.
So many companies could reap significant benefits – from performance and culture to retention and engagement – by improving their communication.
So, if you know someone who could benefit from some help (as even the most seasoned leaders do), please get in touch and check out my website for more information.
You can also see my Top 10 list of what I can (and can’t) do for you here.
And if you see any communication examples (the good, the bad, and the ugly) that you think are worth analyzing or sharing, please send them my way!
Until next time, Stay Curious!
-Beth
Heads up: In the audio version of today’s story you will hear my best attempt at pronouncing Icelandic names and words. I did google and listen to audio to try to get as close as I could to proper pronunciation - but apologies in advance if I have not nailed it. Bjork, I could have used your help this week.
A tremendous story, terrifically told! I would give anything to see this happen in the US, even if it’s the afternoon off.