The Balance Scale's (I. Jafnvægisvogin) 2024 Recognition Ceremony - "Let's Make It Happen, Equality is a Decision" - took place yesterday. The Balance Scale, a catalyst project by FKA (The Association of Women Business Leaders in Iceland), recognized 130 entities: 93 companies, 15 municipalities, and 22 public institutions.
This year saw a record number of recipients who achieved gender balance in executive management. The Balance Scale's goal of 40/60 gender ratio in top management guided the assessment. The catalys project is supported by FKA, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor, Creditinfo, Deloitte, Pipar\TBWA, the National Broadcasting Service, the Federation of Icelandic Fishing Vessel Owners, and Sjóvá.
The Balance Scale dashboard
The Balance Scale maintains a dashboard for statistical information on equality. This ensures accountability and shows the current situation. The dashboard displays key information on gender status in Icelandic business, including gender ratios of company founders, CEOs, and boards. It also provides data on gender ratios in university graduations, industry positions, and the GemmaQ gender index for listed companies. Creditinfo, Deloitte, and The Balance Scale Council developed the dashboard to present information clearly and simply.
Encouraging more participation
"It's great to see more Balance Scale recognition recipients in 2024, reflecting companies' ambition for equality. Equality matters to us all as was shown by the marketing campaign "Scent of a Woman", held in conjunction with the annual recognition awards," says Bryndís Reynisdóttir, project manager of The Balance Scale. "Despite this progress, we want to encourage more participation. It's important for every company, institution, or municipality to examine their status and demand equal gender representation in top management positions. Let's make it happen, equality is a decision.
Equality Grove grows and thrives
The FKA Equality Grove, provided by the Reykjavík Forestry Association, was introduced at The Balance Scale's 2020 conference. Since 2020, project leaders have planted trees in the Equality Grove after the conference, one for each recipient. This year, 130 trees will be planted, one for each 2024 recipient, bringing the total to 392 trees over the past five years. Various tree species are chosen to symbolize the diversity The Balance Scale promotes. The Balance Scale aims to repeat this annually, hoping to see the hillside fill up in coming years with increased equality.