The Women's Alliance of Iceland: Politics, Feminism and Change
I propose to research the Women's Alliance (WA), a political phenomenon
unique to Iceland, at the University of Reykjavik in fall of 2002. I
will focus on the historic events leading up the creation of the Women's
Alliance, and the events that led them to join a coalition after declining
support. I propose to do this through coursework at the University,
independent research, and interviews with former members of the Women's
Alliance.
Beginning with the Icelandic women's slates of the 1920s, to the protests
of the Redstockings in the 1970s, Icelandic women have had a rich history
of political involvement. Many Icelandic women believe they have a unique
culture distinct from men, and this distinction led them to create their
own political party--the Women's Alliance. The WA began as a feminist
organization in 1983; one of their initial actions was to form a list
of female candidates in order to get more women elected into parliament.
By the late 1980s, the WA had formed a successful full-platform political
party with a non-hierarchical, rotational system and enjoyed a wide
range of support from the community and in parliament.
As a result of changes in international women's issues and in Iceland's
political climate during the early 1980s, Icelanders elected the first
woman president and the first woman mayor of the capital city, Reykjavik.
Despite these advances, the WA began to lose popular support as other
parties, namely the Independence and Progressive Parties, also included
women on their slates. In 1999, the WA formed a coalition with two other
small leftist parties, abandoning their stated policy of excluding men
from their lists. The Women's Alliance continues to work within this
coalition.
The manifesto of the WA and their actions are a curious blend of international,
Scandinavian, and Icelandic feminist movements, a heterogeneity that
many feminist and political scientists have ignored. The Women's Alliance
was active from 1983-1999 as an independent political party, and aside
from the national "Women's Day Off" strike of the 1975, and
election of Vigdis Finnbogadottir in 1980, American scholars have all
but ignored the actions of Icelandic feminists. Few articles about the
WA were published in English in the mid 1980s, whereas there is almost
a complete absence of materials published in English past the mid 1990s.
I will focus on why the group separated, and what the future holds for
the WA and women's political involvement in Iceland. The WA existed
for less than two decades, but has left an indelible mark on the landscape
of Icelandic politics.
Although I am well grounded in Icelandic politics and feminist history
and possess a working knowledge of the Icelandic language, I will build
on my understanding through course work, research, and interviews. Two
principal leaders of the former WA, Sigrithur Duna Kristmundsdottir
and Holmfridur Gardarsdottir, now teach at the University of Reykjavik.
During my first semester I will take "Small States in the International
System," and brush up on my Icelandic language skills. Second semester
I will take women studies courses taught in Icelandic by former members
of the Alliance (textbooks are in English).
The University and National Library in Reykjavik house The Women's
History Archive, where numerous documents, records, minutes, speeches,
and essays donated by the Women's Alliance reside. I have already compiled
a list of primary sources from my preliminary research. However, with
such limited published information, there will be no substitute for
interviews. I have already contacted members of the former Women's Alliance
and a member of the new coalition, the Social Democratic Alliance, and
these women have offered their enthusiastic assistance in researching
the relatively undocumented political phenomenon that was the Women's
Alliance.
I propose to leave the US on approximately the 31st of August 2002,
and arrive in Reykjavik to begin language training and political science
and women's studies course work for one academic year. Upon completing
my research, I intend to publish an article on women in Icelandic political
parties. This project will provide insight into Western and International
feminist and political influence on Iceland, and the impact that women
in Icelandic parties have on present and future Iceland. This research
project will assist me in my goal of attaining a Ph.D. in International
politics, with a focus on women's role in politics.
