Solidarity and Awareness – The Movement for Disabled Women in Iceland
Guðríður Ólafs Ólafíudóttir was a pioneer in raising awareness about the lives, rights, and solidarity of disabled women in Iceland. She reached out to the Icelandic Women’s Association (Kvenfélagasamband Íslands) and, together with its representatives, travelled around the country giving talks on the status of disabled women.
Following this initiative, a group of disabled and chronically ill women began meeting regularly at the Icelandic Disabled People’s Association (ÖBÍ). They shared common experiences — of having their disabilities or illnesses dismissed, of facing limited job opportunities despite strong education and professional skills, and of being overlooked in both policy and practice.
International studies had shown that disabled and chronically ill women often face double discrimination — distinct from that experienced by non-disabled women or by disabled men. For decades, medical research and treatment guidelines had been based primarily on male subjects. Yet symptoms often present differently in women and men. The same bias extended to pharmaceutical research and drug development, which historically centered on male physiology.
In response to these systemic inequalities, the Women’s Movement within ÖBÍ was founded on March 8, 2005 — International Women’s Day. The movement is built on compassion, solidarity, and the shared lived experiences of disabled and chronically ill women, standing together to make their voices heard.