{"id":406,"date":"2015-06-19T13:57:42","date_gmt":"2015-06-19T20:57:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.icetips.com\/blog_wp\/?p=406"},"modified":"2015-06-19T16:48:54","modified_gmt":"2015-06-19T23:48:54","slug":"the-right-to-vote","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.icetips.com\/blog_wp\/2015\/06\/19\/the-right-to-vote\/","title":{"rendered":"The right to vote"},"content":{"rendered":"

The right to vote is something we expect and hardly think about, but it hasn't always been that way.<\/p>\n

One hundred years ago, on June 19, 1915 women in Iceland gained the right to vote after years of campaign. \u00a04 years later Congress passed the 19th amendment to the United States Constitution guaranteeing American women the same rights. \u00a0In Iceland farm workers also got the right to vote at the same time. \u00a0At the time they were close to 40% of the male population above voting age. \u00a0This was similar to changes that happened in the early to late nineteenth century in the US, where first property ownership requirements were eliminated, allowing African Americans to vote and Native Americans in 1890. \u00a0Women in Finland were the first European women to get the right to vote, in 1907, but Switzerland the last, not until 1971!<\/p>\n

My mom was a staunch advocate for women rights all her life. \u00a0She grew up in a place called H\u00e6lav\u00edk, in the far North West fjords of Iceland, a remote area that saw the population disappear soon after World War II. \u00a0You can view this area in Google Maps<\/a>\u00a0 Click on the \"Show imagery\" in the lower right corner of Google Maps and you can view photos from H\u00e6lav\u00edk.<\/p>\n

\"\"
H\u00e6lav\u00edk, a remote place in North West Iceland - Linked from https:\/\/jakobinasigurdardottir.wordpress.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"My<\/a>
My mom, Sigurborg Rakel Sigur\u00f0ard\u00f3ttir, born August 29, 1919, died on March 24, 2005. Photo taken sometime around 1965 (unknown)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

She worked hard all her life, as a maid, cleaning lady at the US Navy base in Iceland and for the last 40 years of her life she was a farmers wife, which wasn't always easy! She also worked in the local fish processing plant, slaughter house and herring salting stations for years. \u00a0She raked hay, delivered lambs and nursed them to life on cold days, rounded up sheep and milked cows. \u00a0She took pride in a clean and neat house which was not easy on a farm! \u00a0She cooked two hot meals every day, baked cakes\u00a0and\u00a0bread and made jam and berry juice. \u00a0Until 1973 she took care of making cream\u00a0and\u00a0butter and she always had chicken for fresh eggs.<\/p>\n

\"Laila<\/a>
Laila and I on our farm in Iceland back in 2002. My mom knitted the sweater I'm wearing.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

She knitted socks, mittens and sweaters, sewed and patched clothes when needed.<\/p>\n

Every summer for 25 years, from 1960 to 1985 she took in kids from her brothers, sisters or family friends. \u00a0They would stay the summer and help on the farm. \u00a0Usually two, sometimes three. \u00a0It was often tight in the small farmhouse, which was only about 700 sq.ft. but there was always room for one more! \u00a0We didn't get electricity on the farm until 1971 and it must have been a lot of work to wash laundry and take care of all those people. \u00a0My grandmother lived with us too until she died in 1970. \u00a0I never, ever, heard my mom complain about that there were too many people around - perhaps the contrary as she was very social.<\/p>\n

In January\u00a01979 she fell on snow covered ice when coming back from feeding her chicken and broke her right wrist. \u00a0It wasn't put together properly and it bothered her ever since. \u00a0She slowed down knitting\u00a0after that as it hurt her hand pretty badly.<\/p>\n

In March 1997 she was taken ill and probably had a stroke or something like that (it was never determined) In two weeks she went from being a little forgetful to full onset dementia. \u00a0From 1999 she and my dad lived in assisted living and later in a nursing home, where she died in 2005. \u00a0My dad passed away in 2003. \u00a0The dementia had progress so that the last time I visited in 2004 she didn't show any signs of recognizing me. \u00a0She was 85 when she passed away. \u00a0I felt it was appropriate to remember my mom on this day that meant so much for women of her generation \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

Arnor Baldvinsson<\/em><\/p>\n

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The right to vote is something we expect and hardly think about, but it hasn't always been that way. One hundred years ago, on June 19, 1915 women in Iceland gained the right to vote after years of campaign. \u00a04 years later Congress passed the 19th amendment to the United States Constitution guaranteeing American women ...continue reading The right to vote<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

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