Hafnarfjörður receives recognition from the Balance Scale

Hafnarfjörður receives FKA's Balance Award 2022

The City of Hafnarfjörður is among the companies and public bodies that received the FKA Balance Scale award in 2022. The award is presented to those who have managed to balance the gender ratio at the top level to a minimum of 40/60. The 'Equality is a Decision' conference and awards ceremony was broadcast live on RÚV yesterday. 59 companies, 6 municipalities and 11 public bodies received recognition this year. In 2022, 57 new participants have joined the Balance Scales.

Hafnarfjörður was among the municipalities and companies that in 2019 signed a declaration of intent to work towards the goals of the Balance Scale. FKA (Association of Women in Business) and promote greater gender balance within their organisations over the next five years.

^{59 companies, 6 municipalities and 11 public bodies received recognition this year. Kristín Sigrún Guðmundsdóttir, Human Resources Manager of the City of Hafnarfjörður, accepted the award on behalf of the municipality.}

Notice on the FKA website

„It is safe to say this recognition is a feather in the cap for the municipality and the result of a targeted implementation of equality, balance and diversity within the human resources of the City of Hafnarfjörður. In just three years, we have managed to equalise the gender ratio at the top level, which must be considered a good result, especially given that education and social services are significant sectors within the municipality, where women have been in the majority in management positions. We are pleased with the result and will continue our journey undeterred.“, says Rósa Guðbjartsdóttir, Mayor of Hafnarfjörður.

Excellent results among participants in the FKA Balance Scale

The Gender Balance Scales awarded recognition to fifty-nine companies, six local authorities and eleven public bodies from among the 209 participants who have signed the declaration of intent. The Balance scorecard's target of a 40/60 gender ratio in the top management level was taken into account in the assessment. A large proportion of the participants who have signed the Balance Scale's declaration of intent have achieved good results in this area, and the number of participants who have met the targets increased by 23 year-on-year.

„It has been a pleasure to watch the Scales of Balance grow over the past few years, and equality issues are becoming a key priority for our participants. Participants proudly accept the recognition from the Gender Balance Scale and have been proactive in raising awareness of equality issues within their workplaces in various ways. Unfortunately, women make up only 24% of company CEOs in Iceland, and the proportion has only increased by 3% in the last ten years. I am, however, optimistic that the figure will rise more rapidly in the coming years with increased awareness among those who make hiring decisions,“ says Thelma Kristín Kvaran, project manager of the Equality Scale.

Equality has a direct impact on the environment.

At the 2020 Balance Scale conference, the new FKA Equality Grove was unveiled, which the Reykjavík Forestry Association provided for the Balance Scale. The grove is located at the main entrance to Heiðmörk, on the Vífilsstaðir side, and is the first thing people see when they enter Heiðmörk. This year, 76 trees were planted, one for each award recipient in 2022. Many types of trees were chosen to symbolise the diversity that the Balance Scale promotes. In total, 173 trees have been planted in the Equality Grove over the last 3 years. It is the aim of the Balance Scale to repeat this annually, and it would be pleasing to see the hillside fill up in the coming years, with increasing equality.

Accessible and clear presentation of information

The Gender Equality Scale maintains a dashboard designed to track statistical information on gender equality. This ensures accountability and good performance. The Balance Scales' dashboard displays all key public information on the status of executives in Icelandic business and the public sector, making it accessible in a simple and clear way.

Join the companies and local authorities that see a benefit in working with the Balance Scale.

There has been a strong commitment from companies, local authorities and public bodies to work on equality issues when it comes to senior management. During the year, a total of forty-seven companies, two local authorities and eight public bodies signed a declaration of intent to work towards the goals of the Gender-Balance Scale, thereby joining the ranks of those who have signed in previous years. The number of participants has now reached 209. A diverse workforce has a positive impact on a company's bottom line, as well as on job satisfaction and performance. It also promotes better decision-making and increased value creation, as innovation and growth are more likely to occur among people with different perspectives and backgrounds. Participants have thus demonstrated that they want to engage the entire workforce.

The following received recognition from the Balance Scale this year:

1. 1912
2. A4
3. AGR Dynamics
4. Akranes municipality
5. Atomnia
6. AwareGO
7. Black and white
8. Blue Lagoon
9. BYKO
10. Coca-Cola European Partners
11. Credit information
12. Days
13. Deloitte
14. dk software
15. The Unit Factory
16. Elkem Iceland
17. Elk
18. Ernst & Young
19. Prison Service
20. Social housing
21. Mountain community
22. Fly Play
23. The Executive Agency - State Properties
24. GG Verk Ltd
25. Gudmund Arason
26. Hafnarfjörður Municipality
27. Central Bureau of Statistics of Iceland
28. University of Iceland
29. Health Service of the East
30. Southlands Health Service
31. The Squirrel
32. HS Orka
33. Indonesian Savings Bank
34. Air Navigation Services
35. Icelandic Bank
36. Hotel of Iceland
37. Icelandic Post
38. The Króna
39. Land reclamation
40. National Power Company
41. Medicine and health
42. Medicine
43. The Capital Region Police
44. Human knowledge
45. Mikla Square
46. Múlaþing
47. North Pier, Grundartangi
48. Northern Power
49. New
50. Olís
51. Energy of nature
52. Energy
53. The energy sale
54. Icelandic power company
55. Osars – the lifeline of healthcare
56. Pipar\TBWA
57. Generator
58. West Rangá District
59. Reykjanesbær
60. Rio Tinto in Iceland
61. SaltPay
62. Co-purchase
63. Marine insurance
64. The tax
65. Sun
66. Tactical
67. Insurance Authority
68. To ensure
69. Insurance Company of Iceland
70. The Road Administration
71. Providers
72. Truth
73. Guardian insurance
74. The Labour Inspectorate
75. Wise
76. Bay City

Equality is a decision | News | Hafnarfjörður (hafnarfjordur.is)