That beaming, breastfeeding mama on the left is Thora Arnorsdottir and she is the candidate favored to win Iceland's upcoming vote for President! The 37-year-old mother of three and stepmother of three more gave birth to her youngest just over a month ago, and jumped into the political race when she was seven months pregnant. She is running as the challenger to male incumbent Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, who has been in power for 16 years. Should she win the office, Arnorsdottir's partner plans to become a stay-at-home dad for the duration of her term.
I urge you to watch this wonderful BBC interview with Arnorsdottir, conducted on the edge of her bed, while she nurses her newborn. I think I have a new feminist heroine. Also, I want to move to Iceland, which seems waaaaay ahead of the curve for something like this to be happening. On second thought, I think it's us who are behind the curve -- imagining a similar situation unfolding in our own country seems like wild fantasy. Sad.
UPDATE: Thanks to Riki for pointing out that the election actually happened two days ago, with Arnorsdottir receiving 34.8% of the vote and conceeding to Grimsson. Read more here.
On a related note, I'm loving Joanna's latest series of posts about work, motherhood, and balance. Check it out.
What a wonderfully inspiring story!!! Thanks so much for posting. I just read that she lost the election with 33% of the vote. It sure is sad that it's impossible to imagine anything like this happening in the good old US of A.
ReplyDeleteLOVE!
ReplyDeletewow!!!
ReplyDeleteI love how calm she seems and how effortlessly she continues conversing about the presidency. Even when her baby was fussing a little you could see she cared so much as a mother but didn't lose her cool either and just continued normally. Things are changing alright though aren't they? That she even got the amount of support she did means the tide is turning and the world at large is really coming to accept the feminine in a real way. Not just as it is now, on the surface level where it is really just a case of more women working and having a little more power in a patriarchal society. Iceland is and has been ahead of the curve for a long time. Well done Thora! Such a fab and appropriate name for her too - the Viking goddess of war!
ReplyDeleteShe sounds amazing
ReplyDeleteFor those who are inspired by Þóra, you should check out Vigdís Finnbogadóttir President of Iceland 1980 until 1996.
ReplyDeleteAlso, we just had the first female Bishop ever just now elected. Need I meantion our Prime Minester Jóhanna? ;)
What´s so amazing about Þóra is of course the fact that she´s a young mother with energy and strenght most of us dream of!
I agree, what an inspiration! Thank you for sharing this.
ReplyDeleteVeralynn
joiedeveralynn.blogspot.com
Really enjoyed watching the interview! How refreshing it is to see an intelligent and involved mother breastfeeding her baby as she discusses politics.
ReplyDeletestephanie@metropolitanmama.net