A move­ment that changes the game

On Tuesday, 17 March, the event “Women Invest – a movement that changes the game” took place at the University of Iceland. The event was hosted by Arion Bank and the Centre for Gender Equality, as part of the Business and Science conference.

Over the past two years, Women Invest, an initiative launched by Arion Bank, has attracted significant nationwide attention and has become an important contribution to the discussion on women’s participation in the financial markets. The event reviewed the progress of the initiative to date, the current state of gender equality in investment and business, and the challenges that lie ahead.

Presentations were delivered by Ásta Dís Óladóttir, Professor and founder of the Centre; Snædís Ögn Flosadóttir, Head of Markets at Arion Bank; and Sigrún Ósk Jakobsdóttir, Human Resources Director of Advania in Iceland.

This was followed by a panel discussion featuring three business leaders: Benedikt Gíslason, CEO of Arion Bank; María Björk Einarsdóttir, CEO of Síminn; and Halldór Benjamín Þorbergsson, CEO of Heimar. They discussed the main reasons behind setbacks in gender equality, the gender investment gap, and what management can do to create more equal opportunities. The discussion was moderated by Katrín Jakobsdóttir, Chair of the Centre.