A Note from Hope Katz Gibbs, publisher, Inkandescecent Women magazine — Talk about a country of Truly Amazing Women: When 90% of Iceland’s women walked off the job and out of their homes the morning of Oct. 24 1975, the country came to a standstill. They refused to work, cook, or take care of the children; they brought their country to its knees and catapulted the island nation to its status as one of the best places in the world today to be a woman.
Fifty years later, we go inside the minds, hearts, and homes of dozens of those brave women in Pamela Hogan and Hrafnhildur Gunnarsdóttir’s groundbreaking film, “The Day Iceland Stood Still.” Watch the trailer above, and learn all about the project here: thedayicelandstoodstill.com
The movie is making waves around the world, including a showing on Oct. 8 at the National Press Club, where the filmmakers were joined after the screening in a panel discussion that included the Ambassador of Iceland to the United States, Svanhildur Hólm Valsdóttir.
The Ambassador shares: “I’m so grateful to Hrafnhildur, Pamela, and Gríma for ensuring that the story of the women’s day off is told by the women themselves. Fifty years on, it’s vital to remember this remarkable moment of solidarity, when women across Iceland stood together and refused to accept lower pay or fewer opportunities. Their courage changed the course of our society, and we all continue to benefit from their fight for equality.”
The women’s day off is still impacting Iceland, she believes. “We mark this day regularly, and it always reminds us to ask: are we still moving toward full equality? What remains to be done? The first Gender Equality Act was passed a year after the women’s day off. Since then, Iceland has introduced gender quotas on corporate boards, an equal pay standard, 12-month parental leave shared equally between parents, universal affordable childcare, gender budgeting, and gender assessments for new laws. Equal parental leave and affordable childcare probably play the biggest overall role in ensuring that people raising families can truly share both the responsibility of earning a living and caring for their children.”
About the film: Told by the women themselves and timed for release in the lead-up to the strike’s 50th anniversary, the filmmakers are on a mission to share the story that is subversive and unexpectedly funny. “We loved our male chauvinist pigs,” recalls one of the activists, “We just wanted to change them a little!”
“This is the true story of one day that changed everything,” explains Hogan, the U.S.-based director who campaigned as a high school student in the 1970s with her activist mother to pass the Equal Rights Amendment. Her partner in the project is Icelandic producer Hrafnhildur Gunnarsdóttir, who at the age of 7 accompanied her mother to that very strike in 1975 and thought that when she woke up the next morning “everything would be perfect.”
Hogan notes that while the E.R.A. never passed in the U.S., and Iceland still isn’t perfect – it’s the only country to have closed over 90% of its gender gap, and committed to reaching full equality in the near future. “The only thing new in the world is the history you do not know,” she says. “We hope this story will inspire viewers all over the world to reimagine the possible.”
Learn more:
- Don’t miss our Inkandescent interview with Pam and fellow filmmaker Hrafnhildur Gunnarsdóttir on Inkandescent.tv
- Explore thedayicelandstoodstill.com
- Watch the trailer!
- Check out our Q&A with the filmmakers, below!
THE BACK STORY
Icelandic producer Hrafnhildur Gunnarsdóttir shares:
Of course, it is always a win when we simply finish a film and it travels the world. As a filmmaker this means a lot that the film actually resonates with our audiences and is inspiring people to take action. This is why we make films.
In regard to my personal evolution, I can say this: In 1975, when I was 11years old, I got the idea from attending the Strike that day that everything would be “fixed”, that men and women would be equal from now on, and I would have the same opportunities as boys and men. Of course, it took a while, and the change is still in progress, but in retrospect, it gave me shoulders to stand on.
If that was true, I have no idea, but that is how I lived my life, and I have lived my life to the fullest, surely doing what I love, making films. I sometimes wonder what would have happened if I had not had that idea in my head, if the strike had not happened. Now, of course, my whole life has been a struggle to survive as a filmmaker, as an artist, but here I am, and this has been my career, and I think that is a win.
What I hope for the future generations of women and men in Iceland, and around the world, is that simply they would have the same opportunities and be equally compensated for their work. We are in the position of privilege in Iceland, we have gotten far, yet we are still fighting for equality, and that struggle will probably never be over. Unfortunately, the rest of the world has a long way to go. I know it is daunting to be behind, but we know from experience in Iceland that things can change, and they will. Make men your allies, create new thoughts ofy, and allow your an equal societself to dream of a better future.
Film producer Pamela Hogan says:
What made you want to make this movie: When I read about the story in the back pages of the Lonely Planet guide on a family trip to Iceland, my head exploded. I just thought, how can I NOT know this story? Then I thought of the words of Irish civil rights activist Bernadette Devlin: “It’s not that women are written OUT of history—it’s that we’re never written IN.” I didn’t have a choice. I knew I had to make the film, and it has been an incredible journey.”
What were the biggest challenges? Fundraising, of course. But on the creative side, one of the biggest challenges was finding archival footage—photos and film—to bring this 1970s moment of history to life. Most of the women didn’t have cameras, and those that did had said to me things like, “I don’t know why I didn’t think to bring my camera along when we entered the cow in the beauty contest.”
We have to realize this was not the era of selfies! Another challenge was finding a way to bring ordinary people—women and men —who were not activists but just living their lives—into the story. We wanted to paint a collective picture of Icelandic society in the early days of the 1970s women’s movement, and none of those people were on the record in any way, so it took a lot of research, a lot of cups of coffee with a lot of people, to find those voices.
Another huge challenge, she shares, was finding a way to convey the incredible pressure and criticism ICELAND’s 1970s feminist pioneers faced every day. “Today, Icelandic society has changed so fundamentally that either people don’t remember how much they scorned the feminist movement and the push for gender equality, or they don’t want to remember. So we ended up bringing in actors to voice critical editorials that appeared in the newspapers at the time.”
I think I’m most excited by the discovery that Iceland‘s feminists used humor to open people’s ears to their truly subversive message. I would even say they weaponized humor — and that made it a lot of fun to tell this story! And perhaps what I’m most proud of is that the women who shared their stories with us are happy with the film and feel that it truthfully conveys the spirit of their incredible movement.
Why do you think the women of Iceland were able to come together — and can others do the same today?
Well, it helps that October 24, 1975, was a sunny day, because that’s when the winds can be blowing so hard that roads are closed, and no one would’ve been able to come to the demonstration. I guess that’s why one woman’s son remarked, “Now I know that God is a woman!” Part of it, too, was that women in so many countries around the world in the early 1970s were coming together and fighting for change. As one of the Icelandic activists said to us, “We had sisters all over the place“. So there was a sense of joining a global movement whose time had truly come. Another key was the radical feminists’ willingness to compromise and call it a “day off “rather than a strike. Although some were disappointed and angry about the compromise and felt that it was a sellout, in the end, it’s why truly every Icelandic woman could participate that day, because the message was simply “we matter “.
What do you think is the future of women’s movements around the world in 2025?
I can only tell you about the excitement for this story that Hrabba and I have seen in festivals and screenings in so many different countries over the past year! Young women in South Korea were literally taking notes as they watched the film, determined to challenge patriarchy in their country. We screened the film in Dublin last week for women considering running for elected office in their countries, and they told us they drew inspiration from Iceland’s example. Later this month, on October 24, the 50th anniversary of the Women’s Day Off, the film will launch in theaters across Japan, where an executive committee has just been formed to organize a strike next March.
YOU ARE INVITED! A warm welcome from Cynthia de Lorenzi, founder of the international women’s networking group Success in the City, and Hope Katz Gibbs, founder of Inkandescent® PR & Publishing Co., and producer of the Truly Amazing Women show
Dearest friends — If you are like us, you are feeling deeply unsettled, anxious, and/or fearful following the results of America’s November 2024 election and the subsequent changes to policies that have ensued since Jan. 20. They carry significant implications that will impact our lives for years to come. That’s why we have launched a powerful networking group to bring women worldwide together in a caring community: Empowered Together Network.
Our goal: In this safe space, we bring together Calm, Cool, Compassionate Changemakers. We believe these are the new 4Cs, where each of us brings our individual sparkle and shine to keep peace in the world.
Our mission: Our members PINE for a world where everyone is seen, heard, and respected simply for who they are; where love and light guide us, and where we stand together to support and nurture each other — mind, body, spirit, soul, and heart. On Inkandescent Women magazine, daily we Promote, Inspire, Network, and Educate each other so we have a deep understanding of the issues, and coordinate our efforts to make an impact.
Our plan: The power of this membership community is harnessing our collective expertise through our high-touch networking model. Membership includes the following opportunities to collaborate, so we aren’t just PINEing—we are creating change.
- Promotion: You will star in a 20-minute Q&A video/podcast interview to promote you and your work.
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- Networking: Who do you need to meet? Where to you need to go to protest, participate, and make an impact? Our growing membership offers you numerous opportunities to connect with women around the country, and the world, who you can collaborate with on projects and ideas. We will promote events and activities where you can find more ways to raise your voice in 2025 and beyond.
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Next step: Send Hope an email to schedule our introductory interview.
Meet our new Members in the sidebar: Coming soon will be links to register for our events, classes, and insights daily on Inkandescent Women magazine.
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Until we connect next: Below are some strategies, resources, and actions to find comfort, build resilience, and take meaningful steps for self-care and empowerment.
We look forward to connecting with you soonest. Until then, may you be the change you wish to see in the world. With love, Hope and Cynthia
Artwork by Cynthia de Lorenzi, www.Cynthia.art
Click here for more inspiration: Keep Calm and Carry On: 8 Ways to Stay Sane when life feels chaotic
Below, watch Ep1 of the Empowered Together show starring our Board of Directors.