The Centre for Gender Equality, in cooperation with the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Local Government, has distributed a booklet encouraging women to run for office in the upcoming municipal elections.
Vîsir reports that the booklet, entitled “Support democracy – women in town council”, encourages women from all municipalities and all political parties to run for their local town councils.
Women in town councils have increased in the past decade. In the 2006 muncipal elections, results showed 36% of the candidates were women. Only five municipalities in Iceland have no women on their town councils.
On a national level, the current government is for the first time evenly comprised of men and women in ministerial positions.