GRÓ GEST Fellows Visit Alþingi

On Friday, 20 March, GRÓ GEST 2026 fellows visited Alþingi, the Icelandic Parliament. They were led on a guided tour of the building by Arnór Steinn Ívarsson, who introduced them to the history of the parliament, from its early origins at Þingvellir, where Alþingi was first established around the year 930, to the current parliament building constructed in 1881.

During the visit, the fellows were also given an overview of Iceland’s political development, including the country’s road to independence, the achievement of women’s suffrage, and women’s steadily increasing political participation throughout the 20th century. They were further introduced to the legislative process in Alþingi — how bills move through parliament, the role of parliamentary committees, and how the public can take part in and engage with parliamentary proceedings.

Today, Alþingi has 63 members, of whom 46% are women. Furthermore, 6 out of 11 ministers are women, and 5 of the 6 political parties represented in parliament are led by women.