The Women's History Archive was founded on January 1, 1975 by three women: Anna Sigurðardóttir, Elsa Mia Einarsdóttir, and Svanlaug Baldursdóttir. It was founded in Anna's home, on the fourth floor of a block of flats at Hjarðarhagi 26 in Reykjavík, and she worked there as the director of the Women's History Archive for 20 years.
The Women's History Archive emerged as a response to the traditional view of history, which placed the greatest emphasis on the achievements of men. The goal was to highlight the history of women and their contributions to society throughout the centuries, so that history could no longer be falsified through silence.
From the beginning, the goal was for it to be housed in a large public museum, preferably in the National Library, which was then under construction. After tireless efforts by women and their associations, that dream became a reality. When the Library opened its doors on December 1, 1994, space was reserved for the Women's History Archive on the 4th floor. The Women's History Archive has operated within the National Library since then, as a separate unit within the larger library, with one paid employee and three people on the board. The archive continues to work in the spirit of the policy from 1975 to increase the visibility of women in Iceland in national history through information provision, special projects and the collection of private documents.
The library's 50th anniversary will be celebrated throughout 2025, which is also the 50th anniversary of the 1975 International Women's Year and the fateful Women's Day. The sails will be blown and numerous events will take place, culminating in the fall when a history exhibition opens at the National Library. The future can be bright.
