Iceland hosts first major international #MeToo conference

The first major international conference exploring the #MeToo movement is taking place in Reykjavik this week, hosted by the Icelandic prime minister, who said she hoped it would contribute to “relegating sexual harassment to history”.

The three-day gathering will explore why the movement first gained traction, and the effect it has had across different countries and sectors. Women with disabilities, care workers and migrant women whose voices have not typically been heard since the movement began as a hashtag in October 2017 will be among the participants from around the world to share their stories, and discuss how to keep up the momentum to tackle sexual abuse and assault.

The prime minister, Katrín Jakobsdóttir, told the Guardian that the conference was intended to “create a platform for an international and in-depth conversation about the impact and the future of #MeToo”.