Icelandic Assocation of Local Authorities
Municipality/regional entity
Topics
Sub Topics
Gender Mainstreaming
Empowering Women
Women in the Workplace
Contact
Icelandic Assocation of Local Authorities
Description
Gender mainstreaming in municipal schools, pre-schools and sport and leisure activities for children and youth. Establishing gender equality plans. Sharing experience on participation of women in politics at the local level. Combating sexual harassment at the workplace. Equal pay management systems.
Icelandic municipalities have according to the Icelandic Gender Equality Act, a legal obligation to make gender equality plans both in relation to their role as service providers and as employers. The plans shall provide framework for gender mainstreaming in all municipal activities.
Furthermore, the Gender Equality Act puts special emphasis on gender equality in the education system, in child-care services, and in leisure and sport activities for children. Icelandic municipalities are responsible for primary schools from the age of 6 to 16, and pre-schools. They also provide and promote leisure and sport activities for children and youth, in cooperation with local sport clubs and other youth organisations.
Around 90% of Icelandic children are enrolled in municipal pre-schools. This is probably the single most important factor explaining the extraordinarily high percentage (79%) of Icelandic women participating in the labour market. The pre-schools are defined as being a part of the school system and some of them have gender equality as one of their fundamental principles.
Projects
Icelandic municipalities can provide best practices in these fields and the Icelandic Association of Local Authorities, which is their member association, will act as an intermediary for the EEA Bilateral projects.
Furthermore, Icelandic municipalities can share political experiences in relation to the fact that 48,7% of municipal councillors in Iceland are women which is according to a recent survey, conducted by the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), the highest in Europe.
In addition to this, in relation to their role as employer Icelandic municipalities can also share their experience on processes to combat sexual harassment in the work place and on equal pay management systems.