The title of the exhibition, which is being set up to mark the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage, is a quote from Bríetar Bjarnhéðinsdóttir's speech on July 7, 1915, when the right to vote was celebrated for the first time at Austurvöllur. At the opening of the exhibition on Saturday, May 16, 2015, a website about the history of suffrage, konurogstjornmal.is , was also launched, and is accessible at the exhibition. The project is funded by the Executive Committee for the 100th Anniversary of Women's Suffrage and is a collaboration between the National Library of Iceland - University Library with the National Archives of Iceland, the Alþingi, RÚV and the Research Institute for Gender Equality Studies at the University of Iceland.
In 1915, all women and men aged 25 and over were granted the right to vote, although with the restriction that the age limit was 40 for women and workers who had not previously had the right to vote. The age limit was then to be lowered by one year each year until it reached 25. However, in reality, in 1920, everyone, both women and men, was granted equal voting rights, and the age limit was 25. Gradually, the voting age was lowered, most recently to 18 in 1984.
The exhibition and website trace the history of suffrage in Iceland, and in particular women's suffrage, as well as explaining the stages of women's struggle and equality issues. A variety of materials from the museum relating to suffrage are on display, as well as materials from the Althingi, the National Archives of Iceland, the Icelandic National Broadcasting Corporation and other sources.
The exhibition runs from May 16, 2015 to March 20, 2016.
Briet Bjarnhéðinsdottir
Women in Reykjavík celebrate the right to vote in 1915.
Women in the Thorvaldsens Society in Reykjavík, 1896.