Blog by Donatella Benjamin, SI Representative in Geneva.
This side event “The Power of Women’s Movements: Solidarity for Justice”, sponsored by the Permanent Mission of Iceland on June 18, during the 59th session of the Human Rights Council, highlighted the transformative impact of women when they join forces.
Iceland’s journey toward gender equality was initiated in 1975 by women demanding legal recognition in areas such as voting rights, property ownership, and workplace equality.
On October 24, 1975, known as Women’s Day Off, 90% of Icelandic women stopped working at their workplace and at home, walked off the job and out of their homes, refusing to work, cook, or take care of the children, demonstrating the indispensable role of women’s importance in every society. They brought their country to a standstill and catapulted Iceland in what it is today: «the best place in the world to be a woman”.
Many women were instrumental in creating this monumental shift by emphasizing the importance of women leaving visible footprints in history, and reminding to all of us to “Take care that the snow doesn’t fill the footsteps.”
50 years later, with a combination of interviews, archival footage and brilliant animation, The day Iceland stood still, a captivating and inspiring film, was projected during the side event sponsored by the Permanent Mission of Iceland on June 18th 2025, illustrating the collective power of women to transform their society. The Day Iceland Stood Still is a necessary watch today! https://www.thedayicelandstoodstill.com/
The film explained how the Women’s Day Off movement of 1975 set the stage for Iceland to elect its first female head of state in 1980; today the country is regularly among the top places in the world to be a woman.
Some women who participated in this revolutionary action are interviewed in the film; they recall today what happened during those 24 hours, and the words of one of these feminists are still echoing in our minds:
First, you are ignored – Then they fight you – Then you win!
The side event concluded with other examples of collective actions from representatives of the Maldives and Somalia, and with co-sponsors like the Center for Reproductive Rights and the International Service for Human Rights. Movements worldwide emphasized a shared value: discrimination and violence are unacceptable. They all highlighted how women’s collective actions create transformational societal shifts, proving that when women stand together, they redefine history.
