Today is international women’s day, and one of the biggest topics of debate is equal pay for equal work. Well, Iceland is about to take steps to make sure that becomes less of a concern in the small European country. Today, the Icelandic government announced that it will introduce a law that will require all companies with 25 employees or more be able to prove that they practice pay equality.

Iceland is hoping that this measure will eliminate the pay gap in the country by 2022. And it’s not just about the gender pay gap. The law mandates that public and private companies pay employees equally “regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexuality, or nationality.”

Icelandic Equality and Social Affairs Minister Thorsteinn Viglundsson says that it’s time that the country do something “radical” about the issue. He stated: “Equal rights are human rights. We need to make sure that men and women enjoy equal opportunity in the workplace. It is our responsibility to take every measure to achieve that.”

The proposed law has received some criticism–mostly concerns that it will become burdensome for companies and slow down the pace of business, as it requires that any company with over 25 employees obtain a certificate from the government.

There are a lot of arguments about how large the gender pay gap actually is in individual countries. Iceland is often cited as one of the best nations for equality, but according to a study from Expert Market, a UK-based data firm, Icelandic women earn 14 percent less than their male counterparts. In October 2016, Icelandic women protested the pay gap by walking out of work.

Way to go women of Iceland! Yesterday they protested 14% pay gap by leaving 14% early from work at 2:38pm! https://t.co/fGE9zByatE pic.twitter.com/fx1xjuJznI

— Women Thrive (@WomenThrive) October 26, 2016

Certain nations have policies that involve equal pay certificates. And in Minnesota, “certain contractors must provide equal pay certificates in order to conduct business with the State of Minnesota or certain governmental agencies.” But Iceland is believed to be the first nation to try to implement a law that mandates proof of equal pay.

Iceland is a very small country, so if this measure succeeds it may not be too useful of a model for other nations. But it’s nice to see a country making an effort to advocate for equal pay. After all, we still live in a world where op-eds are published about how women shouldn’t be paid equally. So, carry on, Iceland, and happy International Women’s Day!

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Iceland Proposes Law to Mandate Equal Pay for All by 2020 appeared first on Law Street.

Welcome to RantCrush Top 5, where we take you through today’s top five controversial stories in the world of law and policy. Who’s ranting and raving right now? Check it out below:

New Immigration Enforcement Rules Could Affect Millions

Yesterday, the government began issuing some new guidelines for the deportation of undocumented immigrants. The new rules, detailed via a pair of memos, are very aggressive and would focus on people who are charged with or suspected of crimes–previous guidelines prioritized those who have been convicted. These crimes can include minor offenses, like abuse of government benefits or engaging in “willful misrepresentation” in any official matter.

In the memos, Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly also said that officials can deport any undocumented immigrants they believe could pose a threat to national security. He also called for the hiring of 15,000 new border patrol agents and for the building of the wall on the Mexican border to begin. It is unclear how this would be funded, but millions of people could potentially face deportation.

TRUMP DECLARES WAR ON THE ‘UNDOCUMENTED’: Trump’s new barbaric order can literally rip a family apart for jaywalking https://t.co/rIYXPjA20k

— Bill Madden (@activist360) February 21, 2017

Emma Von Zeipel

Emma Von Zeipel is a staff writer at Law Street Media. She is originally from one of the islands of Stockholm, Sweden. After working for Democratic Voice of Burma in Thailand, she ended up in New York City. She has a BA in journalism from Stockholm University and is passionate about human rights, good books, horses, and European chocolate. Contact Emma at EVonZeipel@LawStreetMedia.com.

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Iceland’s election was on Saturday, and while certain mainstay parties were represented on the ballot, an unexpected challenger also had a place there: the Pirate Party, an anti-establishment party that garnered roughly 15 percent of Iceland’s support.

The Pirate Party is just one of the many populist parties that have emerged in Europe since the global financial crisis, but it does not identify as right or left wing, choosing instead to label itself an anti-establishment movement that will attempt to combine the best of both parties. The party operates on a platform of direct democracy, net neutrality, and civil rights, and is an offshoot of the Pirate movement founded in Sweden a decade ago. However, while the Swedish party was primarily preoccupied with copyright law, the Icelandic version embraces a much broader swath of issues and has gained more traction, thanks in part to the release of the Panama Papers.

After the Panama Papers revealed that Iceland’s former Prime Minister, Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson, and his wife held funds in offshore accounts in the British Virgin Islands, the Pirate Party swooped as the voice of protest, organizing massive protests across the country. Freedom of information and the exposure of corrupt practices is a central theme of the Pirate Party’s agenda: Birgitta Jonsdottir, the leader of the party, is a poet who formerly provided legal assistance to WikiLeaks. Before the Panama Papers, the Pirate Party would never have been in the position it holds now, attracting international attention. Jonsdottir herself has expressed surprise during multiple interviews at how successful the party has become.

The Pirate Party did not win a seat at the table this weekend, largely because of concerns about the profound economic effects for international investors had the party won. However,  there could also be a shift in the political status quo now that the Party has stepped toward legitimacy by at points polling over 20 percent. The Pirate Party has ruled out forming a coalition with the current parties in power if it ever is elected, arguing that it doesn’t want its vote to be influenced or absorbed by the corruption of “the Octopus“–the wealthy families that Jonsdottir argues control the country. The party may not ever succeed in creating a more transparent and equitable democracy (and frankly, the party’s plan of action is more optimistic than realistic) but they will have perhaps opened the door for other outsider parties, not only in Iceland, but across all small European nations.

In the United States, where we have massive voting blocs aligned to our traditional two parties, third party candidates have rarely won elections, yet in Iceland, with a total population of only approximately 332,500, a smaller number of voters can have a greater impact on the election–which means the Pirate Party could set a new precedent for dozens of small-scale movements that want to transition into the formal government. The Pirate Party’s steps toward legitimacy may not impact U.S. elections but it can have an impact on countries with small, young populations–voters who are online, connecting with political movements through social media, and who are frustrated with the traditional party dichotomy.

Jillian Sequeira

Jillian Sequeira was a member of the College of William and Mary Class of 2016, with a double major in Government and Italian. When she’s not blogging, she’s photographing graffiti around the world and worshiping at the altar of Elon Musk and all things Tesla. Contact Jillian at Staff@LawStreetMedia.com

The post The Election No One Has Noticed: Iceland’s Pirate Party appeared first on Law Street.

Newt Gingrich and Megyn Kelly Go At It On Fox News

Here at RantCrush we love rants and tirades of all kinds. Especially ones involving Trump surrogates and news anchors who just don’t give a damn. Newt Gingrich and Megyn Kelly went at it last night after Kelly pressed Gingrich on Trump’s sexual assault accusers. So, Gingrich accused Kelly of being “fascinated with sex.”

via GIPHY

This is when things started to get not so sexy…you can watch for yourself here:

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