Not Just a Woman’s Battle

Photo/Contributed

Translation: Katrin le Roux Viðarsdottir

The Student Paper contacted Young Professional Women in Iceland (UAK) and asked about the association’s activities, equality issues, and the position of women in the workplace. In light of recent events, the interview was conducted electronically.

Equality matters to everyone

UAK is a community of young women who want to promote a society where men and women stand on equal footing and are offered equal opportunities. The association is an ideal platform for women who want to stand out in the workplace, network, and develop their strengths. When asked who belongs in this communit,y the board of UAK says: “UAK is for anyone who relates to the goals of the association. We don’t have an age limit, and if an individual is interested in joining, they are welcome. We put a lot of effort into creating a safe environment for women to express themselves, promote themselves, and network. We regularly hold public events and encourage everyone to attend. Equality matters to everyone.”

Men shy away from women’s work

In light of this issue's focus on equality, we wanted to explore women’s position in the workplace. “When we talk about equality in Iceland, people often think that equality has already been achieved. If we look at the job market as a whole, it’s clear that men stay away from jobs traditionally associated with women (which usually have lower salaries), and women have a hard time being promoted to managerial positions in male-dominated fields.”

It’s important for young women to have female role models, so they will see that their professional opportunities aren’t limited by their gender. “Role models are very important, as well as their visibility. No registered company in Iceland has a female CEO, and only 11% of CEOs in 100 of the biggest companies in Iceland are women. As the number of female CEOs increases, women have more opportunities to excel and be themselves at the same time. Young women also need to see that they can do whatever they want.”

The UAK board also points out that men play just as important a role in the equality discussion. “It’s also important to get men engaged in the discussion on gender equality. Men are usually in more authoritative positions, and they have to realize the situation, assume responsibility, and act. If they don’t, then nothing happens. This is not just a woman's battle, and we should fight this fight together. It’s still so maddening that we need to fight for men to listen, instead of them seeing for themselves.”

UAK is an ideal platform for young women to strengthen their professional network, and they’ve put a lot of focus on networking, for example by hosting so-called networking nights. “We at UAK focus a lot on networking. Even though it’s an old cliché, it’s always valid. Over time, a certain invisible network of men has ensured their ability to move forward without it even being noticable. We women often have to fight for the position of ‘the only woman’ and are expected not to support each other. Thankfully, this has now changed, and we’re supporting each other more and more.”

Diverse teams produce the best results

In 2010, Parliament passed a law requiring corporations and private companies with more than three board members to have at least 40% representation of each gender on the board. The law took effect in 2013 and is still in effect. When asked about this sort of action on the part of the government, the board of UAK answers: “In a perfect world, there would already be total equality, without any sort of constraints or laws being passed. Unfortunately, the reality is that Parliament has had to take various actions to promote change. This includes the board gender equality law as well as older examples.” They do mention a few more things that can be done that could affect the power pyramid. “Among the other actions that could be taken are setting up a rewards program to ensure that 40% of board members are indeed women. The hope is that this would also affect the gender ratio of middle management. Unfortunately, this hasn’t happened yet.”

At UAK Day, held on March 7, much of the discussion revolved around diversity in the workplace. “There was a lot of discussion about the diversity of the workplace on UAK Day this year. It’s paramount that the concept of diversity not only include gender diversity but also age, background, religion, and so on. People’s different experiences, background, and cultures help companies excel at the international level. Icelandic companies such as Marel, Össur, and CCP have had international success. One thing these companies have in common is that a large part of their staff are of foreign origin. Diverse teams produce the best results.”

Where do women want to work?

The board also points out the importance of companies asking why women aren’t applying for their open positions. “If we want to talk about what the companies themselves can do, that involves making a decision and following through - not just making empty promises and policies, but taking action. If women aren’t applying, companies need to ask themselves why. Why don’t women want to work here? How can we reach out to them? Companies have used various strategies to reach out to women, like internships. These kinds of solutions seem to get more women into the company. At the same time, companies need to consider what kind of environment the workplace offers, for example regarding work-life balance, policies regarding harassment, and workplace culture. It all matters.”

Consumers are in charge

The board of UAK points out that it’s important to do business with companies that are diverse, so that we, the public, can affect company policies. “The public can set requirements and put pressure on companies to fix their equality issues. There are many people who only do business with banks, insurance companies, and stores that have an equality policy. However, no one's going to press one button to achieve total equality. This is something that will take time, and compared to where we were 30 years ago, we’re doing well. It’s good to keep in mind that we’re the ones who control where we spend our money. Power is on the consumers' side, and we can try to do business with those companies who have clear equality policies.”

The board also points out that it’s important to be vocal about equality issues, because without discussion, there will be little improvement. “More discussion about equality issues and diversity is important, and just taking part in the conversation and being vocal can make a difference. On UAK Day, Þórey Vilhjálmsdóttir said that as soon as we start talking about it, we can start changing the world.”

The board highlights movements like the Instagram accounts Karlmennskan (Masculinity) and Fávitar (Idiots) that have played a large role in opening up the conversation about equality issues here in Iceland and encouraging society to change its mindset. “There are also sites like Fávitar and Karlmennskan that are doing good things when it comes to promoting gender equality and a change of attitude in society. We live in a time where it’s easy to join the discussion, and we should take advantage of that to discuss issues we consider important.”

Want to promote a society where men and women stand on equal footing

When asked where UAK is heading, the board answered, “We in UAK want to promote a society where women and men are equal and have equal opportunities. Until men and women are equal in Icelandic society, Young Professional Women in Iceland will keep working toward equality through education, discussion, and encouragement.”

What’s next

Finally, we discussed UAK’s upcoming events, which include a seminar with Andrés Jónsson and Sesselía Birgisdóttir. The theme is “you: the brand,” and the seminar will focus on how to put yourself out there. In May, UAK will hold its annual general meeting, where a new board will be chosen for the coming year. The highlight of each year is UAK Day, a conference dedicated to young women in the workplace.