Business & Government Oct 30, 2015

Gender Equality in Iceland and the U.S.

At Taste of Iceland in Seattle, a panel of experts sat down to discuss the state of gender equality in Iceland and the U.S.

As part of Taste of Iceland in Seattle, a panel of experts from both Iceland and Seattle sat down to discuss the state of gender equality in their respective regions. Iceland has been ranked #1 in the world for gender equality for six consecutive years, with the U.S. placing not far behind (20th in 2014).

The conference, entitled Learning From Each Other: Gender Equality in Iceland and the U.S., focused on how Iceland has reached near complete gender equality and the strides the U.S. is taking toward complete gender equality as well.

The successful conference started off with opening remarks from Hlynur Gudjonsson, Consul General from the Icelandic Consulate. Other notable speakers included Kristín Ástgeirsdóttir from Iceland’s Centre for Gender Equality, Liz Vivian from The Women’s Funding Alliance, Ragna Arnadottir from Landsvirkjun and Hyeok Kim from the City of Seattle, among others. The event was hosted by Margrét Gísladóttir, Account Manager from KOM PR and former Political Advisor to the Foreign Minister of Iceland.

One of the main reasons Iceland has seen so much economic growth in the past 50 years is due to the growing participation of women in the labor market. Between 1960 and 1980, women’s participation in the labor market grew from 36% to 63%. 2015 also marks 100 years since women were granted the right to vote in parliamentary elections.

You can watch a video of the conference below and learn more about the speakers and topics discussed here.

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