Women in Iceland including PM go on strike for equal pay and an end to violence

People across Iceland gather during the women’s strike (AP Photo/Arni Torfason)

Schools, shops, banks and Iceland’s famous swimming pools shut on Tuesday as women including the prime minister went on strike to push for an end to unequal pay and gender-based violence.

Icelanders awoke to all-male news teams announcing shutdowns across the country, with public transport delayed, hospitals understaffed and hotel rooms uncleaned.