International Women’s Day 2020 is billed as a time to celebrate women’s achievements, to raise awareness against bias, and to take action for equality. And how wonderful that there is a specific mission this year ‘to celebrate digital advancement and champion the women forging innovation through technology’.
Of course, there is still a great deal to achieve when it comes to gender equality around the world. But I for one am incredibly proud to be part of an Icelandic technology company that is making progress on so many fronts.
In our office, women often outnumber men in the room. There is consistent support and encouragement for our female computer engineers, data analysts, consultants and marketers. Women fill many senior roles. We are a profitable and growing business, despite female employees coming and going for their maternity leave and meeting family commitments alongside their work. (And that goes for the men in our office too!)
Embracing #EachforEqual
In the technology industry, AGR Dynamics sets an excellent example of what can be achieved with a culture of enablement and positivity. To borrow the words of International Women’s Day, we are working towards ‘an equal world, and it is an enabled world’.
Women are well represented on the AGR Dynamics management team: our CFO is a woman, our Head of Development is a woman, and our Head of AGR Services is a woman. There is a presence of women not just in the Icelandic head office, but also across our offices in Canada, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and the UK and getting stronger.
Next-Gen Technology Leaders
Most encouraging is that, as a business, we are inspiring and training the next generation of female tech leaders. Talented women join AGR Dynamics – many are IT and engineering graduates straight from college – and carve out fruitful, long-term careers. Some go on to do Masters Degrees, and then return to us, attracted back by the family-friendly culture and career opportunities on offer.
Iceland Ranks First for Gender Equality
It helps that we are an Icelandic company. For the 11th year in a row, Iceland is the country ranking first in the World Economic Forum’s Geneva Equality List.
And women make up 33.5% of boards of directors in enterprises employing 50 or more persons, according to the latest numbers from Statistics Iceland.
I believe the most important lesson Iceland can teach other nations is that giving gender equality a chance does not negatively impact business, if it is managed well. We are living proof of that at AGR Dynamics.
Taking Action for Equality
International Women’s Day 2020 is billed as a time to celebrate women’s achievements, to raise awareness against bias, and to take action for equality. And how wonderful that there is a specific mission this year ‘to celebrate digital advancement and champion the women forging innovation through technology’.
Of course, there is still a great deal to achieve when it comes to gender equality around the world. But I for one am incredibly proud to be part of an Icelandic technology company that is making progress on so many fronts.
Below are pictured most of the women that make AGR Dynamics so great:
The women in the Icelandic AGR Dynamics Office. Top row: Anna Lilja Pálsdóttir, Arndís Ýr Hafþórsdóttir, Rakel Rúnarsdóttir, Agnes Jóhannsdóttir, Rebekka Jóhannsdóttir, Helena Ólafsdóttir, Ásta Sigríður Harðardóttir, Eyrún Engilbertsdóttir, Elena Losievskaja. Bottom row: Ástrós Eir Kristinsdóttir, Anna Guðbjörg Cowden, Íris Björk Snorradóttir, and Vigdís Birna Þorsteinsdóttir. Not pictured:Þórdís Björk Sigurþórsdóttir, Rannveig Guðmundsdóttir, Sigrún Gunnhildardóttir, Elva Sif Ingólfsdóttir, Andrea Gunnarsdóttir, Þórhildur Jensdóttir
The women of the AGR Nordic office in Copenhagen. Top row: Dana Rut Gunnarsdóttir, Fanndís Kristinsdóttir, Magnea Gunnarsdóttir, Þórunn Sif Ingimundardóttir. Bottom row: Brynja Rut Blöndal, Karolina Kralikova, Hildur Guðmundsdóttir. Not pictured: Halla María Hjartardóttir, Mette Løffer Obel.
Julie Jenne holds down the fort within our AGR Dynamics UK office.
#IWD2020 #eachforequal #womenintech #genderquality
