W.O.M.E.N Urge City of Reykjavík To Take Family Aid Allegations Seriously

RÚV reports that The Association of Women of Foreign Descent in Iceland (W.O.M.E.N) have urged the City of Reykjavík to take the recent allegations against Iceland Family Aid (Fjölskylduhjálp) seriously when allocating financial grants to aid organisations for the coming year.

W.O.M.E.N’s statement was published in response to the allegations of racial discrimination at Family Aid which recently surfaced. The allegations of discrimination came largely from former volunteers of the organisation.

Heiða Björg Hilmisdóttir, chairwoman of the Reykjavík City Welfare Council, says that the council will take W.O.M.E.N’s statement very seriously, and assures that the statement will be taken into account when it comes to allocating grants in the future. The matter is expected to be discussed in City Council today.

As reported, in 2010, Vísir released a short transcript from an interview that a journalist from Fréttablaðið had with Ásgerður Jóna Flosadóttir, the director of Family Aid. In this excerpt, which details only the first minute of conversation, Flosadóttir explained that while Family Aid is committed to helping all those in need, the organisation sometimes makes the decision to prioritise Icelanders.

This most recent case has already attracted considerable attention, with a Hafnarfjörður town councilperson already asking Family Aid for his donation to the org back in the wake of reporting on the matter.

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