Shaping Global Conversation
Digital
In a year that has underscored the need for greater women’s leadership and parity in decision making, the Reykjavík Global Forum – Women Leaders is one of the very few platforms where hundreds of Leaders from all sectors, including politics, business, civil society, academia, the arts, and media, can Power, Together to build back a more resilient and equal society.
Co-Chairs
The Forum relies on a high level and ambassadorial committee of Co-Chairs. The committee is made up of leading figures from academia, civil Society, business, and politics who identify with the mission of the Reykjavík Global Forum have been actively supporting women to express their voices. Co-Chairs are nominated by the Women Political Leaders Board and approved by the Icelandic Steering Committee.
Co-chairs advise on the Forum program and its activities, thereby pushing conversations out of the comfort zone to explore ways to respond to societal issues.
Co-Chairs
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Rebeca Grynspan
Secretary-General, Secretaria General Iberoamericana (SEGIB)
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Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka
Executive Director, UN Women
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Obiageli ”Oby” Ezekwesili
Public Policy Expert and Senior Economic Adviser, AEDPI
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Michelle Nunn
President and CEO, CARE
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Katrín Jakobsdóttir
Prime Minister of Iceland
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Atsushi Sunami
President, The Sasakawa Peace Foundation
Featured Conversationists
At the Forum, one is not an attendee, but an invited leader; someone who can hear what is being said, can add value to and share the passion for the conversation: a Conversationist.
... The Forum is the platform where leaders discuss and share ideas and solutions. To achieve that, everyone needs to participate and enter the conversation ...
Featured Conversationists
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Founder, Avandis Consulting
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Amanda Nguyen
CEO and Founder, Rise
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Amy Weaver
President, Chief Legal Officer, Salesforce
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Ann Cairns
Vice-Chairman, Mastercard
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Belén Garijo
Deputy CEO; Vice Chair of the Executive Board; CEO, Healthcare; CEO Designate, Merck KGaA Darmstadt, Germany
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Caroline Wozniacki
Former Professional Tennis Player
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Cheryl Philips
Member, National Assembly of the Republic of South Africa
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Christy Tanner
Executive Vice-President and General Manager of CBS News Digital, CBS Corporation
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Dalia Grybauskaitè
President of Lithuania (2009-2019), Chair Emerita of the Council of Women World Leaders (2014-2019), Member of the Council of Women World Leaders
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Diane Wang
Founder and CEO, Chairwoman of the APEC Women’s Leadership Forum, DHgate.com
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Hillary Clinton
67th United States Secretary of State (2009-2013)
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Hiltrud D. Werner
Member, Board of Management responsible for Integrity and Legal Affairs, Volkswagen AG
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José Manuel Barroso
President, European Commission (2004-2014), Prime Minister, Portugal (2002-2004), Chairman, Goldman Sachs International, Member, WPL Global Advisory Board
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Joyce Banda
President, Malawi (2012-2014)
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Julia Gillard
Prime Minister, Australia (2010-2013), Chair, Global Institute for Women’s Leadership
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Laura Chinchilla Miranda
President, Costa Rica (2010-2014)
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Marianne Amssoms
CEO, Carpe mutatio
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Mark Pollock
Explorer and Speaker, The Mark Pollock Trust
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Michelle Harrison
Global CEO, Kantar Public
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Oby Ezekwesili
Senior Economic Adviser, The Africa Economic Development Policy Initiative (AEDPI), Co-Founder, #BringBackOurGirls
Going digital, ensuring safety
Because the opportunity to advance women’s leadership in this symbolic and challenging year cannot be underestimated and neither can our commitment to creating an inclusive convening moment, we have made the decision to transform the Forum to ensure global conversations.
While we will all miss the icy wind and Northern Lights of Iceland, this decision allows us to ensure the safety of the Reykjavík Global Forum community.
Together with our Icelandic co-hosts, we are thrilled to announce the opportunity “to be together in Iceland” in spirit while we cannot in person. This will be made possible through the “Reykjavík Satellites”; small, local gatherings co-hosted by Icelandic embassies and consulates around the world. These events, which will adhere to local health and safety guidelines, will all have the same programme and play an important part in the wider, global programme.
Conversationists of the digital gathering, will be joined by participants of the Reykjavík Satellites and jointly contribute to the overall Forum outcome: the Reykjavik Manual.
New to the Forum this year, the Manual will gather the insights, best practices, and solutions offered by women leaders around the world in a practical guide on how to ‘build back better’.
ICELAND: THE GLOBAL CHAMPION OF EQUALITY BETWEEN WOMEN AND MEN
The Reykjavík Global Forum takes place in Iceland. For many years Iceland has been the global champion in the WEF’s Global Gender Gap Report which examines disparities between men and women in terms of political empowerment, economic opportunity, education and health.
milestones that matter:
1915
Women gain national suffrage and the right to hold office
1922
The first woman elected to the Icelandic Parliament
1961
Equal Pay Act approved by the Parliament
1975
Women nationwide take a day off on October 24
1976
Equality Act approved and the Equaliry Council is founded
1980
The first nationally elected female president in the world
1982
The Women’s Alliance runs for Parliament
1995
Equal rights of women and men stated in the constitution
2003
Equal rights of women and men of parental leave
2010
Companies are obliged to have 40% women or men on board
4 things that made the difference
Equal Parental Leave
9 Months (3 for women, 3 for men and 3 to share). A combination of guaranteed daycare and parental leave allows women to continue working post-children. Over several years, men taking parental leave is up to 90%.
Equal Pay Law
On 1 June 2017, Iceland passed an instrumental law requiring proof from all Icelandic companies that they are paying men and women equally for doing the same job.
Strong Female Role Models and Women in Power
47% of MP’s are women, over 65% of members in local governments are women; over 65% of university students of women; 80% of women participate in the labour market.
Consensus From Left to Right
Icelandic women have, in most cases, agreed upon the greatest gender equality steps taken, across party lines.