The Guardian posts an interesting statement this morning: Iceland may be the most feminist country in the world. This accolade comes on the heels of a new law in Iceland banning strip clubs, topless bars, and the like—it would ban any business from profiting from the nudity of its employees. Iceland is a tiny country with a population of roughly 320,000—smaller than any US State—and, while it stands to reason that they may not have that many strip clubs to begin with, the number has risen in the past decade.
What makes this interesting is that Iceland isn’t banning strip clubs for any sort of religious reasons; instead, the law was passed for feminist reasons. The Guardian reports that 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.” It is unclear if the law provides any resources for women who will find themselves laid off.
This presents an interesting debate: is stripping or sex work inherently un-feminist? Is it ethical to ban it when this is how some women may make a living? What’s your take?
Image courtesy CBS News
