Ávarp félags- og vinnumarkaðsráðherra á viðburði í Háskóla Íslands þar sem fjallað var um kynferðislega áreitni og ofbeldi innan háskólasamfélagsins

Guðmundur Ingi Guðbrandsson, félags- og vinnumarkaðsráðherra:

Dear Guests,

Today, we gather to address sexual harassment and violence within the university community. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Professor Þorgerður Jennýjardóttir Einardóttir for inviting me to speak at this occasion.

The topic is harrowing, but important, and it is essential that we confront it head-on. Universities must be safe spaces for everyone; staff and students alike.

The #MeToo movement brought into light systematic harassment and discrimination faced by women in all layers of Icelandic society, including the academic community.

Sexual harassment and violence thrive in silence. This gathering today is an important step in breaking that silence in academia.

At the height of the movement, Icelandic women in science came forward to share their experiences of harassment and violence within the university community. So did women in academia in other countries too.

One of those courageous women is Jessica Cantlon, who is a speaker here today. Jessica was at the forefront of a group of women who initiated actions against sexual harassment in U.S. universities. Thank you, Jessica for your important contribution and dedication.

There can be no gender equality in spaces where sexual harassment and violence are allowed to persist, where women are not safe.

Eradicating sexual harassment and gender-based violence is a precondition for achieving full gender equality.

Gender-based violence and sexual harassment reflect deep-rooted inequalities that continue to pervade.

If we want women to be full participants in public life, in the labor market, and especially in educational institutions like universities, we must confront these issues directly.

The #MeToo movement and other grassroots efforts have already influenced policy-making in Iceland for the better.

In recent years, our government has made systematic efforts and put emphasis on actions against gender-based violence and sexual harassment.

Reforms have been made in the handling of sexual offences in the justice system and prevention and education against sexual and gender-based violence and sexual harassment has been strengthened.

This has been done by reviewing and amending legislation, with action plans in the form of Parliamentary Resolutions, with increased funding, for example, to the police, and grants to various non-governmental organizations working on these issues.

These efforts include:

• Legislation on sexual privacy to address decisively the threat posed by digital sexual violence has been adopted.
• In 2021, Iceland's first comprehensive plan to prevent sexual and gender-based violence among children and young people was approved. It integrates preventive actions across all levels of schooling, community centers, and leisure activities, ensuring the message reaches young minds early.
• An Action Plan for Handling Sexual Offences (2023–2025) is now underway, focused on speeding up the processing of sexual offence cases and improving victim support, including access to psychological support after questioning by the police.
• In order to ensure and increase services to victims of gender-based violence, grants have been awarded to non-governmental organizations that provide these services. With these fundings, a women's shelter in Akureyri is now open and services for victims of violence are now available in the West Fjords and on the South Coast of Iceland, with this services for victims of gender-based violence have been strengthened in rural areas.

Despite this progress, we are witnessing a troubling backlash.

In recent years, we have seen a rise in sexist hate speech, misogyny, and online abuse. These developments demand our vigilance and our strong voices.

We must speak out against these forces with strength and solidarity.

Dear guests, I thank each of you for being here today and for being part of this vital conversation and revolution. Together, we can push for the changes needed to ensure that our universities, and indeed all spaces, are safe for everyone.