Reykjavík Grapevine - 20.05.2016, Blaðsíða 11

The gender conundrum

Of course, “gender” and what it entails
remains up for debate. Plan A will ex-
plore these questions within the scope
of responses, which ultimately gives
participants the ability to determine
the course and shape of the ensuing
dialogue. For example, whether trans-
gender stories will be included in Plan
A depends on whether transgender
people choose to participate. And the
same goes geographically: the regions
included in the discussion will be the
regions of those telling their stories.
“We see ourselves as ever changing,
guided by the stories shared and voices
heard, adapting to what works best for
our storytellers. And who are we to
cut anyone out of this conversation?”
Rachel and Tahnee tell me, stressing
that they are working to answer these
questions, but don’t plan on answer-
ing them alone.
Still, Rachel holds that gender is
crucial in discussing Arctic affairs:
“So many of the issues affecting the
Arctic region, disproportionately af-
fect women, but this often goes over-
looked.” Gender, rather than other
classifications, is a means of binding
stories and people together, as well as
a way to focus the wide scope of Arctic
issues into an identifiable picture.

The importance
of being Iceland

At the core, Iceland’s gender, econom-
ic, and environmental issues are some-
what different from those of other
Arctic regions. Tahnee notes Iceland’s
hefty contributions to international
scientific assessments and Arctic pol-
icy-making, ultimately highlighting
the importance of including gender
in these discussions. She argues that
because Iceland has such a strong role
in these areas, it has strong impact on
whether gender is included in these
sorts of discussions.
Though Tahnee cites specific gains
Iceland has made in incorporating
gender into Arctic policy, she also re-
fers to the Centre for
Gender Equality Ice-
land’s 2012 report on
“Gender Equality in
Iceland.” This report
highlights some ar-
eas in which women’s
economic, political,
and social roles have
room for improve-
ment. Despite being
championed as a uto-
pia of gender equal-
ity, Iceland, like other
countries in the cold-
er regions, still has
steps to take in ensur-
ing gender is consid-
ered within the scope
of Arctic research,
policy, and law.
While allowing for
the varying cultural,
economic, and envi-
ronmental needs of Arctic regions,
Plan A insists that these needs can
be better addressed when examined
beside one another. Innovation in Ice-
land might encourage innovation else-
where, and vice versa.

Proper attire
for a snowstorm

As of now, Plan A consists of a “land-
ing page,” a form in which partici-
pants provide their name, contact
information, home place, and poten-
tial ideas for the site. Plan A has also
issued a call for submissions, which
can be as short as a 140-character,
Tweet-esque composition, and as long
as 2,000 words. They can be in a mul-
titude of forms as well, from text to an
Instagram post to a series of photos.
The deadline for these submissions is
listed as “Ongoing.”
Of course, as in all projects, some
aspects still need fleshing out. Future
Plan A obstacles include finding will-
ing coders to further develop the plat-
form, and deciding how to deal with
submissions in languages other than
English. Still, with women from Swe-
den to the Yukon already submitting
stories, Rachel and Tahnee remain de-
termined that they can deal with prob-
lems as they come. Plan A participants
might even provide some solutions
themselves.
As for who can take part in this
process, Rachel and Tahnee simply ask
that those who contribute know the
proper attire for a snowstorm. Here in
Iceland, that’s certainly one thing lo-
cals know, and all too well.
SHARE: gpv.is/plana
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 6 — 2016
11
“Whether it is women
often acting as
first responders to
shifting landscapes
or medevacing long
distances in difficult
weather to give birth,
women across the Arctic
have more in common
than they might think.”
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