Visit to the Althing, the Parliament of Iceland Kirkjustraeti

The delegation visited the oldest parliament at Reykjavík. The Althingi is the oldest extant parliamentary institution in the world. Its establishment, as an outdoor assembly orthing held on the plains of Þingvellir (“Thing Fields”) from about the year 930 AD, laid the foundation for an independent national existence in Iceland. To begin with, the Althing was a general assembly of the Icelandic Commonwealth, where the country’s most powerful Leaders met to decide on legislation and dispense justice.

At the parliament, we were received by Solveig K. Jónsdóttir, Head of the Information and Publishing Department Administration of Althingi, the Parliament of Iceland. We met two parliamentarians, Ms. Hanna BirnaKristjánsdóttir, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament and MsSteinunnÞóra.

Ms.Kristjánsdóttir was Mayor of Reykjavík from 21 August 2008 to 15 June 2010.She has a bachelor’s degree in Political science from the University of Iceland in 1991. After that, she got a Master of Science in International and European Politics from Edinburgh University (1993).

MsSteinunnÞóra has a BA in Anthropology and an MA in Disability Studies, both from the University of Iceland. She has been active within the MS-Society of Iceland and the Organization of Disabled in Iceland.

SteinunnÞóra has been active within the Left-Green Movement for a number of years, including taking a place on the party’s ticket in three parliament elections; 2007, 2009 and 2013.

Both talked to us about how women have been contributing to politics and also socio- economic development of the country. They also presented a picture of the ideologies and agenda of the two bigger political parties in the country.

The meeting ended with Ms. Archana Garodia, making a small introduction of FLO and its initiatives. The delegates took the tour of the Parliament before leaving.