Kvennaframboð, a list comprised solely of female candidates, will be running for municipal elections in Reykjavík in May, Kjarninn reports.
The women’s organisation Kvennaframboð, which was born after a meeting on women’s struggle last October in Reykjavík, considers it its prerogative to put women’s issues front and centre in Reykjavík. “We want to be an energetic force supporting crucial, feminist justice issues,” they wrote in a statement.
The organisations’ decision to run for elections was influenced by the #MeToo movement and the impact it has had on the local community. “Inspired by powerful movements like #MeToo, #karlmennskan, the struggle of trade unionists and their experiences, we’ll be running for elections as a force that demands action when it comes to ensuring the security, accessibility and impact of all kinds of women and minority groups on the local community.”
In particular, Kvennaframboð points the finger at local authorities which, despite the impact of the #MeToo movement, completely ignored women’s issues during the last national elections. “We are here to ensure that this won’t happen again,” they added. “We are here to show that the fact that women’s presence has decreased in Parliament has nothing to do with a lack of interest in women to run for elections. We declare ourselves prepared to create a safer and better society.”
Ahead of the elections, which will be held on May 26th, the organisation will organise another meeting on April 14th where any woman interested in running for elections will be able to come forward and present herself as a candidate for the Women’s List.
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