On October 25th 1975, 90% of Icelandic women took the day off to protest gender wage gaps and unfair employment practices.
The strike paralyzed the country. Factories and schools were also closed, newspaper’s didn’t get printed and you could hear children behind the radio speakers. Children had invaded workplaces where fathers at loss tried to entertain them with sweets and pencils.
Five years after, Vigdis Finnbogadottir became one of the first women to be the head of state in a democratic country. Iceland then championed gender equality through a series of reforms, ultimately becoming one of the most progressive countries on this issue.