Status

Opportunities for improvement

Decision-making Male-dominated decision making in regional matters

The percentage of women in municipal governments has risen but this is not reflected in positions of influence within such governments.

There are opportunities for increasing the impact of women when it comes to decision-making in regional affairs.

Urban areas/rural areas Wider gap between men and women in rural areas than in urban areas.

Emigration of women negatively impacts community quality and is one of the symptoms of distressed rural areas. Many indicators also reflect that women bear the responsibility for unpaid housework and care taking and engage in those tasks to a greater extent than men.

To counteract female emigration from rural areas, there must be appealing employment opportunities, secure availability of housing, educational opportunities, and access to basic services, such as healthcare, day care and school, and organisation of transport links must take different needs into account.

Employment Gender differentiated in Iceland.

Secure employment is the basic premise for residence, and the gender imbalance in rural areas is closely linked to variable employment opportunities for the sexes outside the capital area. The existing gender gap in rural areas is also caused by the fact that jobs tend to be linked to male-oriented perimeters, such as primary industries, fisheries, agriculture, and industrial sectors. Women, however, tend to take on jobs in the tourism sector, healthcare sector, and public service. Lack of diversity in employment has a strong impact on female emigration from rural areas.

Opportunities exist to better include women through innovation, grants, flexible location working, public office, etc.

Grants and funds Less access to credit for women.

A gender imbalance exists when it comes to borrowed funds, and grants related to regional affairs. The success rate may be equal, but the fact that women are less likely to apply than men indicates that funds do not take the needs and emphases of women specifically into account.

Difference in emphasis between the sexes must be taken note of, as an inherent disparity may exist with respect to criteria and assessment when access to loans and grants is provided.

Community character Gender-difference in the evaluation of these aspects.

When choosing where to take up residence, the community character and a child-friendly environment is especially important to women.

As regards residence and communities, community character, the possibility of integrating employment and family life, child-friendliness, access to education, culture and housing are important factors for consideration.

Transportation links Different gender needs

Generally speaking, women spend less time commuting to work than men. Women are more likely to take work closer to home, whereas men commute longer to and from work than women.

Decisions on commuting are taken based on varying needs, and special consideration must be given to the needs of women when transportation links are organised, not least in more rural areas.

Reply to paragraph 19 of the list of issues and questions

67.The core values of Iceland’s policy for climate change adaptation reflect the assumption that “different scenarios where the worst case and social impacts of climate change are, i.a., taken into account, especially with regard to vulnerable groups; … the link between climate hazards and social justice and public health” and the core objectives also reflect that adaptation measures should be designed in such a way that they “ensure a fair and equitable adaptation outcome”.

68.The policy also makes numerous references to those who are vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Groups of people that need to be identified, consulted, and supported with respect to climate change and measures taken in response.

69.In the spirit of gender and equality mainstreaming, gender is one of the core variables considered while designing and implementing measures, and therefore a central theme in Iceland’s policy on adaptation to climate change.

70.Iceland’s Strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change has as part of its core values “different scenarios where the worst case and social impacts of climate change are inter alia taken into account, especially for vulnerable groups”; “the connection of climate hazards to social justice and public health”; and further as part of its core goals it commits to designing adaptation measures that “contribute to just adaptation”.

Reply to paragraph 20 of the list of issues and questions

71.Please refer to Iceland’s 9th periodic report, paragraphs 211–212. The draft Bill on amending the Marriage Act No 31/1993, submitted by the Minister of Justice, was adopted by Althingi in June 2022. Amendments were made to several provisions of the Marriage Act, such as regarding exemption from the minimum age requirement for entering marriage, for the purpose of harmonising law on marriage to international recommendations and views with respect to the age limit for entering marriage. It also enacted the principle considered applicable here in Iceland with respect to recognition of marriage abroad, provided that the marriage was contracted according to the law of the country in which it took place as regards marriage eligibility, and the rules on entering marriage. However, marriage contracted abroad will not be recognised in this country if one or both parties were under the age of 18 when the marriage was solemnised. Under special circumstances, and where it is clearly in the interest of the party who was under the age of 18, a marriage may be recognised in this country if the party in question was 16 when the marriage was solemnised, and the marriage is recognised in the country where it took place. Any marriage, which in other respects is contrary to the principles of the Icelandic legal system or public order, will not be recognised in this country.

72.Amendments were also made to the Marriage Act No 31/1993, through a draft Bill submitted by members of parliament, which was adopted in June 2022. The draft Bill introduced several amendments to the Marriage Act, i.a. as regards the time limit for legal separation, legal separation on account of domestic violence, mediation pursuant to the Act, such as authorising mediation between the married couple separately, and that married couples can obtain a divorce by law without having to apply for judicial separation first, if they both agree, where there are no joint assets or children under 18, or the married couple has entered into an agreement as regards custody of children, spousal maintenance, and other divorce terms. The draft Bill clarifies that the purpose of the above-mentioned amendments is, i.a., to strengthen the position of victims of violence and guarantee their right to end a marriage. These amendments will enter into force on 1 July 2023.

73.The draft Bill proposed two ways to end a marriage on the grounds of domestic violence.

(a)On the one hand, that a party can apply for a divorce by law without having to apply for judicial separation first through the District Commissioner if the other party admits their violation, or has been convicted;

(b)On the other hand, that a party can apply for a divorce by law without having to apply for judicial separation, if police records confirm emergency calls to police due to domestic violence, or other data, such as injury notes or psychological reports, indicate that the party applying for divorce, or a child living in the home, has been subjected to violence by the other party, or an overall assessment of the situation and the available information for other reasons warrants the assumption that the party applying for divorce, or a child living in the home, has been subjected to violence by the other party. Such cases are managed under an expedited procedure before the Courts.

74.Despite the above-named amendments, a comprehensive review of the Marriage Act is intended in the near future.