ABSTRACT
Like other Nordic countries in the Arctic region, Iceland has ranked high on various gender equality indexes for the past decade and is described as “the world’s global leader in gender equality”. There is an unequivocal sense of pride about gender equality among the Icelandic population, and the perceived progressiveness of the country on gender issues wields significant influence in the country’s nation branding. The past two decades have also seen immigration to Iceland grow significantly, due to the increasing demand for labour in the construction, tourism and service sectors. However, public discourse on the intersection between gender equality and migration is rare; moreover, little research has been done on whether the achievements of gender equality issues in Iceland have reached the growing migrant population of the country. Describing the results from quantitative and qualitative data gathered in Iceland, we present our findings on gender values and norms among both the Icelandic population and the migrant population in Iceland, and we discuss the potential of gender equality for all in the small North-Atlantic island.
