Today the Icelandic Women’s Rights Association published a report by Birta Ósk, who produced the report in collaboration with the Icelandic Women’s Rights Association, with support from the Icelandic Student Innovation Fund.

Being non-binary in Iceland: How is gender equality for non-binary people?: Abstract

Recently, there has been increased awareness about non-binary individuals, which are people who experience themselves outside the woman-man gender binary, but despite that, non-binary individuals have been excluded from the discussion about gender equality. This study seeks to answer the following questions: what are the manifestations of gender inequality, experienced by non-binary persons? and, what systematic barriers do non-binary people face? Four interviews were conducted, and they were analyzed thematically. The results revealed that 1) the lives of non-binary people are characterized by invisibility, in the sense that the society does not expect nor include them, 2) responsibility is assigned to non-binary individuals to create space for themselves in the society and 3) systemic barriers. Systemic barriers can be found within the public administration, health care and educational systems, and workplaces. The research shows that a significant awareness raising must take place in Icelandic society about non-binary issues. The research was funded by the Icelandic Student Innovation Fund (Nýsköpunarsjóður námsmanna) and carried out in collaboration with the Icelandic Women’s Rights Association.

In summary Birta’s research results revealed that: 1) The lives of non-binary people are characterized by invisibility. 2) Unfair responsibility is assigned to the marginalized group to create space for themselves in the society and 3) Non-binary people experience various systemic barriers.

Non-binary people experience considerable gender inequality in Icelandic society, which neither cisgender women and men nor transgender women and men experience. The marginalization of non-binary people in Iceland today is primarily manifested in the invisibility of the group. In nearly all areas of society non-binary people are not expected or not mentioned and their existence is sometimes even denied. Unjust responsibility is imposed on non-binary people to create space in society for themselves and increase their visibility. Non-binary people are expected to educate and correct cisgender people on how to use gender-neutral language and pronouns. They are also expected to convince cisgender people that they are non-binary or of the validity of the gender as a whole. This responsibility should be on the shoulders of cisgender people, the privileged majority group. Cisgender people need to educate themselves on how to talk in gender neutral way and stand with non-binary people against hate speech directed at them. These beforementioned patters of invisibility and unjust responsibility are reflected in the systemic barriers non-binary people face. These barriers can be found within Icelandic public administration, health care, the educational system, and workplaces.

The research shows that awareness must be raised significantly in Icelandic society about the issues that non-binary people face. Further research is necessary e.g., quantitative research on non-binary peoples’ health, family life, education, salary, and more that is already known about their cisgender peers. The Icelandic government has an obligation to consider gender equality for the group by eliminating the systemic barriers. You can see a list of suggestions for improvement for the Icelandic government in the table below.

Suggestions for improvement for the Icelandic government on how to promote gender equality for non-binary people

The report can be read in full here (in Icelandic).