The Week Unwrapped: Iceland's strike, spiking and dog maulings

People across Iceland gather during the women's strike in Reykjavik, Iceland

Tens of thousands of women in Iceland, including the prime minister, went on strike to push for equal pay and an end to gender-based violence

(Image credit: Arni Torfason / AP)

By The Week Staff

published 29 October 2023

Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days. With Julia O'Driscoll, Julia Macfarlane and Abdulwahab Tahhan.

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Schools, shops, banks and outdoor attractions shut on Tuesday as women in the volcanic island nation, including its female prime minister, went on strike to demand an end to unequal pay and gender-based violence. Iceland has been ranked as the world's most gender-equal country 14 years in a row by the World Economic Forum, so how can the rest of the world catch up? And are mass walkouts the answer?

A new Channel 4 documentary follows Daisy Maskell as she is intentionally spiked in a filmed experiment. FOI requests made by the show revealed that spiking incidents reported to the police have increased five-fold in the past five years, but the proportion leading to criminal charges is falling. What's behind this disparity? Should clubs and pubs be taking greater responsibility in cracking down?

Officials in China have launched a crackdown on stray, unregistered and "oversized" dogs, after a toddler was mauled by a Rottweiler earlier this month. Social media posts showed local authorities breaking into people's houses and forcibly taking away their dogs. It comes as dog attacks are on the rise in the UK and a ban on XL Bullys is being introduced by the government. Is the world falling out of love with dogs?

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