Harry Potter alum Emma Watson has nothing but praises for the men of Iceland for being strong supporters of the HeForShe campaign for gender equality.
On her Twitter account (@emwatson), the young actress wrote, "I believe that men in Iceland are increasingly recognizing that gender equality is a global human rights issue."
She also shared that Iceland is actually the most mobilized HeForShe nation in the world, with one out of 20 men signing up for the cause. If men from the United Kingdom decide to follow suit, with one in 20 males deciding to join the campaign, then that would equate to 1.5 million British men standing up for gender equality. Unfortunately though, only 34,331 British men have so far joined.
Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson wrote in an article for the Guardian that Iceland and the rest of the world, for that matter, still have a long way to go as far as gender equality is concerned, but they are getting there.
For those who are curious why men in Iceland specifically care about gender equality, Sveinsson explained: "I believe that men in Iceland are increasingly recognising that gender equality...comes as a result of increased confrontation with the devastating impact of gender inequality."
And what are the results of this "devastating impact"? Sveinsson said over the past few years, there have been violence against women and other forms of harm including stalking, forced marriage and female genital mutilation.
He said he believes that gender inequality is not a legacy that Icelandic men want to leave behind, and that is why they have been taking steps to address this.
Back in 1980, Iceland elected the first female president in the world. The Icelandic government has been implementing a gender equality law for almost 40 years now. This year, Iceland marks the centennial year when women gained the right to vote. Iceland also boasts of high women participation in the labour market at 80 percent.
"Men are also witnessing the positive impacts of gender equality on themselves, such as men taking paternity leave. This helps to equalise society's approach to parental care. It can help boost employment rates, narrow pay inequalities and create stronger family connections," added Sveinsson.
