Bríet Bjarnhéðinsdóttir remembered at Hólavallagarður on Women's Rights Day

Ritstjórn
Friends Jóný Helgadóttir and Nína Melkorka Ólafsdóttir carry the wreath to the grave of Bríet Bjarnhéðinsdóttir at Hólavallagarður. Róbert Reynisson
Friends Jóný Helgadóttir and Nína Melkorka Ólafsdóttir carry the wreath to the grave of Bríet Bjarnhéðinsdóttir at Hólavallagarður.

A lovely memorial ceremony at Hólavallagarður this morning honored women's rights advocate and former City Council member Bríet Bjarnhéðinsdóttir on Women's Rights Day.

First held on Women's Rights Day in 2011, the memorial for women's rights advocate and City Council member Bríet Bjarnhéðinsdóttir has taken place every year since. Bright sunshine welcomed the crowd gathered for the memorial ceremony at Hólavallagarður on this glorious morning. 

Singer Sigrún Erla Grétarsdóttir performed two songs. Björg Magnúsdóttir, president of City Council, listens.
Sigrún Erla Grétarsdóttir, söngkona, söng tvö lög. Björg Magnúsdóttir, forseti borgarstjórnar, hlýðir á.

Singer Sigrún Erla Grétarsdóttir and musician Vignir Þór Stefánsson opened the ceremony with a musical performance. Two young girls, Nína Melkorka Ólafsdóttir and Jóný Helgadóttir, carried a floral wreath to Bríet's grave.

At Hólavallagarður, Björg Magnúsdóttir, president of City Council, delivers remarks. Jóný and Nína look on.

Björg Magnúsdóttir, president of City Council, accepted the wreath and laid it on Bríet's grave. She then gave a brief speech for the occasion.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, from left: Nína Melkorka Ólafsdóttir, Hildur Björnsdóttir, mayor, Jóný Helgadóttir and Björg Magnúsdóttir, president of City Council.
Í lok athafnar, frá vinstri: Nína Melkorka Ólafsdóttir, Hildur Björnsdóttir, borgarstjóri, Jóný Helgadóttir og Björg Magnúsdóttir, forseti borgarstjóranar.

A champion for women's rights 

Bríet Bjarnhéðinsdóttir played a major role in establishing legal reforms for women and thus strengthening democracy as a whole. She founded the Icelandic Women's Rights Association in 1907 and served as its first chair from inception until 1928. The association's goal was to work toward ensuring Icelandic women gained full political equality with men, including voting eligibility, the right to run for office, the right to hold public positions and the right to employment under the same conditions as men. 
The floral wreath on the grave of Bríet Bjarnhéðinsdóttir at Hólavallagarður
Blómakransinn á leiði Bríetar Bjarnhéðinsdóttur í Hólavallagarði

For the 1908 municipal elections, women in Reykjavík fielded the Women's List, marking the first all-women candidacy in Iceland's history. The Women's List won a landslide victory, securing seats for every candidate on the ticket. These four women — the first to serve on Reykjavík's town council — were Bríet Bjarnhéðinsdóttir, Guðrún Björnsdóttir, Katrín Magnússon and Þórunn Jónassen. On the town council, they championed swimming instruction for both sexes and the creation of playgrounds for children. Pervasive urban poverty left many children malnourished. Through the town council, Bríet advocated for children to receive meals at school. A school meals program launched and continued intermittently into the 1930s. Bríet died in Reykjavík in 1940.