Iceland: the world's most feminist country

Iceland: the world's most feminist country

www.guardian.co.uk

Iceland is fast becoming a world-leader in feminism. A country with a tiny population of 320,000, it is on the brink of achieving what many considered to be impossible: closing down its sex industry.

While activists in Britain battle on in an attempt to regulate lapdance clubs – the number of which has been growing at an alarming rate during the last decade – Iceland has passed a law that will result in every strip club in the country being shut down.

(visit the link for the full news article)

Even more impressive: the Nordic state is the first country in the world to ban stripping and lapdancing for feminist, rather than religious, reasons. Kolbrún Halldórsdóttir, the politician who first proposed the ban, firmly told the national press on Wednesday: "It is not acceptable that women or people in general are a product to be sold." When I asked her if she thinks Iceland has become the greatest feminist country in the world, she replied: "It is certainly up there. Mainly as a result of the feminist groups putting pressure on parliamentarians. These women work 24 hours a day, seven days a week with their campaigns and it eventually filters down to all of society."

All I can say is that I applaud this. I applaud it because it was done for the RIGHT reasons. Not some nebulous religious moral bigotry as it has been for thousands of years.

www.guardian.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

Good on them, it seems feminism here in the UK has turned into nothing more than wanting to be a pop star or a footballers girlfriend, preferably both.

In a recent poll Cheryl Cole was named the most influential woman of the decade. Sad but true.

This coming from the land of Emile Pankhurst the leader of the Suffraggettes Movement.

It is not acceptable that women or people in general are a product to be sold.

I'm sure the strippers would disagree. I understand they can make quite alot of money. But if they want to ban stripping and lapdancing, good for them. As long as the public wants this too and it's not some religious agenda.

I guess in reality it all comes down to perspective.



[edit on 26-3-2010 by DaMod]

Just more noise from another ignorant radfem.

Her chances of success will be as good as trying to rid the country of prositution.

reply to post by DaMod


The woman holding the sign is no decoration, that's for sure. As for the other one's--.

But really, finally, some GOOD news.

While it's true that strippers can make good money, once they are forced to find other employment for probably a lesser wage, they might be surprised to find out that they feel much better about themselves.

Making a lot of money is nice.... but at what price?



Peace

Feminism is plague on humanity, that leads to misandry. The war on boys and men is well documented, and is often news.

If they were truley feminists they would demand an equal number of male strippers work. How can the sex trade be against women? Sex is usually between 2 sexes.

reply to post by leo123


Well, her chances of success must be pretty darn good, considering she SUCCEEDED.

Honestly, some days people just don't read the OP

Identity politics are soooo passe'.

So their economy has collapsed and now they want to put more people out of work... This is not helping women this is an attack on women because it targets a mostly female profession. How dare they oppress these women and take away thier ability to make a living. That is discrimination. Sounds more like a bunch of ugly biatches who are jealous because they don't have the wares to to sell in that market!

Some of you crack me up when you say it was for the right reasons not some moralistic religious BS. So claiming this will help women feel better about themselves is not the same moralistic BS as religion? If stripping is not immoral as you claim then why would women feel bad about themselves and why ban it and prevent people from making a living as they so choose? Honestly the hypocrisy is amazing. Socialism is the moralistic religion here that claims authority to tell people what to do in the name of some abstract concept called feminism who are not harming anyone and just making a living, yet denies doing it for moral reasons LOL! ... Sigh!

[edit on 26-3-2010 by hawkiye]

reply to post by hawkiye


Never brought socialism into it my friend. Also, unless you are a woman, I doubt you can really comment on the matter. Regardless, I agree with the article that paying someone for the usage of their body is degrading and against civilized society.

'Course, I suppose many of the people in here would have said Slavery was a perfectly great thing that allowed the poor lesser races a chance at being civilized, were this 100 years ago

"It is not acceptable that women or people in general are a product to be sold."

We are all just a product to be sold in one way or another. What these women will accomplish is driving the business of stripping underground.

As a woman I disagree with this. I am glad I dont live in Iceland.

What makes this act pro female? All it is doing is legislating morality, and not all women agree stripping and lap dancing is a bad job for females.

I say allow the female to choose.

Look at the Hooters girls, they are young and cute and know that there are dumb visually led men out there who will part with wads of cash when they wait their tables. This is a sound business decision on their part, they are just trying to earn a living.

That girl holding up the sign can take her own advice and not apply for those kinds of jobs. She doesnt look like a good fit for the sex industry anyway.

I think a law like this is actually antifemale, because it is denying a HUGE part of a females power and strength, and that is her female sexuality. Why would women want to deny each other this?

I can make my own mind up as to how I want to earn my money, and am glad I dont live in Iceland, it sounds a mite oppressive.

If these 'feminist' truly cared about the women they would either demand strip clubs that featured men or women operated clubs. I have dated a dancer and she did not feel expolited, though the occupation does have its downfalls and many girls will let themselves be exploited to feed a drug addiction. I agree with the poster who said this will lead to 'underground' strip clubs which is a much worse situation for everyone involved, since everyone in the clubs knows it is illegal whats not to stop open prostitution and drug use in those clubs.

Not trying to flame here, IMhO most of the women who hate strip clubs and exotic dancing are either jealous that those girls get so much attention or jealous because they dont have the body for that kind of attention.

What a lot of scary crap!

The idea that we can't work now.... regardless of the excuses given, we have here a government interfering, and stopping people from earning a living.

If these ladies wish to earn a few Kroner, then good on them!

I'm a bloke, and strip joints never did it for me, and still don't. My view is that if these ladies want to work there, then let them. Don't ban them.

Now you'll have a whole new industry spring up overnight, and it will be underground, which brings in the nefarious criminal element, hoping to cash in on the profits...

Lining the pockets of crooks! What a clever move by the Icelandic Governement. What a clever move.


Edit to add: My other half loves going to strip joints, and she always has. I don't. But, as with all things we have our likes, dislikes, and everything in between. We also realise that these differences are what makes us special, and are never used for division. Unfortunately the Icelandic Gov't seems to think differently. How very grown up of them.

[edit on 26-3-2010 by dampnickers]

It's just my opinion, but I think stripping and prostitution is disgusting. I don't want to get it on with a girl just because of her looks. I certainly don't want to get it on with a whore. Std's freak me out. I personally will never spend a dime at a strip club. It's not worth my time in the least.

Way to go, Iceland. Props for leading humanity in the 21st century.

Originally posted by antonia

"It is not acceptable that women or people in general are a product to be sold."

We are all just a product to be sold in one way or another. What these women will accomplish is driving the business of stripping underground.

While I agree that stripping will most likely just turn underground in Iceland and become a worse problem, I think your first statement is rubbish. I am NOT a number. I am NOT a product. I'm a human being, dammit. You can't buy me for all the monies in the world.

[edit on 26-3-2010 by unityemissions]

Originally posted by D.E.M.


All I can say is that I applaud this. I applaud it because it was done for the RIGHT reasons. Not some nebulous religious moral bigotry as it has been for thousands of years.

www.guardian.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

You are dead right, it wasn't done for some religious moral bigotry, rather it was probably atheistic moral bigotry.

Worse, you are so blinded by this non-event, that you cannot see that the criminal element will now re-open the strip joints and make a mint, all the while the girls WILL be exploited, because they have no rights legally speaking. No minimum wage, no break allowances, no contract of employment... What a cracking idea this is. How clever. You do see this right?

Just to give you an idea of how bad this is... before abortions were legalised, girls went to backstreet doctors to get rid of unwanted pregnancies. How many do you think survived those procedures without any sort of harm, or even death??? I disagree with the very idea of abortions, but having them legalised, regulated and out in the open makes them a damned sight safer than if they were underground. Actually, wasn't this one of the bandwagons the "femenists" jumped on?

But then, I'm sure you'll be able to whip up some femenist propaganda to prove me wrong....

Originally posted by unityemissions
It's just my opinion, but I think stripping and prostitution is disgusting. I don't want to get it on with a girl just because of her looks. I certainly don't want to get it on with a whore. Std's freak me out. I personally will never spend a dime at a strip club. It's not worth my time in the least.

Way to go, Iceland. Props for leading humanity in the 21st century.

Originally posted by antonia

"It is not acceptable that women or people in general are a product to be sold."

We are all just a product to be sold in one way or another. What these women will accomplish is driving the business of stripping underground.

While I agree that stripping will most likely just turn underground in Iceland and become a worse problem, I think your first statement is rubbish. I am NOT a number. I am NOT a product. I'm a human being, dammit. You can't buy me for all the monies in the world.

[edit on 26-3-2010 by unityemissions]

So, if stripping and std's aren't your bag, then why get on your high horse?

You aren't a product to be bought or sold - thats' great and I applaud you for it. However, if others wish to be bought or sold, because they get enjoyment/fulfilment out of it, why should you care?

This whole affair is wrong. Very wrong.

I don't agree with strip clubs either, but if ladies wish to go out and get paid for doing it, good for them.

Mind, we have politicians that go out and murder in our name, and we still pay them taxes to pay for wars... who do you think is worse? You for paying your taxes or the stripper?