Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR)
European section of United Cities and Local Governments


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Equality of women and men in local life

Charter for gender equality - 22.10.2009

Reykjavik signs CEMR's charter for gender equality
Reykjavik signed the European Charter for equality of women and men in local life, on 20 October 2009.
 
The charter has been elaborated by the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) and contains a wide range of commitments to promote equality, across the range of its services and responsibilities.
 
Reykjavik intends to set up and adopt an equality action plan that must then be implemented. The action plan must include clear objectives and priorities, as well as measures to be adopted, resources to be allocated and a time-scale for implementation.
 
By signing CEMR's charter, Reykjavik also commits itself to take part in an adequate assessment process aiming to follow the progress made towards the implementation of the charter.
 
Reykjavik now joins 11 other European capitals who have formally pledged themselves to take practical action to tackle gender inequality. These include Vienna, Stockholm, Paris, Madrid, Athens, Brussels or Helsinki. All together, more than 900 local and regional governments from 27 countries have signed the Charter.
 
Women in politics in Iceland
 
At the municipal level, the proportion of women in local governments reached 36% in 2008. One fourth of mayors are women.
 
In the Icelandic parliament, following the 2009 elections, women hold 27 of the 63 seats in parliament, or 43%. Iceland now has one of the highest percentages in the world of women in national parliament, after Ruanda, Sweden, Cuba and South Africa.
 
Women suffrage in Iceland was granted in 1915.
 
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