“Iceland was the first country where all the highest Offices of State and Church have been held by women: the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister, the Bishop and the Presidents of the Parliament and the Supreme Court. How did it happen? That is the essence of our New York dialogue.”

– His Excellency Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, President of Iceland

Iceland leads the world in closing the gender gap that has held back women around the globe for centuries and the U.S. holds the highest ranking among the largest nations, according to The Global Gender Gap Report 2014, issued by the World Economic Forum.

This one-day conference focuses on why and how the people of Iceland have achieved near equality between the genders and how Americans have continued to close the gap in the U.S.

Program Agenda

Welcome | Jón Sigurðsson, ChairmanIACC, President and CEO, Össur

Opening remarks | Nancy Ploeger, President, Manhattan Chamber of Commerce

Presentation #1: The Iceland Story | Kristín Ástgeirsdóttir, Director, The Center for Gender Equality, Iceland

Presentation #2: Gender Equality in the U.S.: The Present and Future | Deborah Gillis, President & CEO, Catalyst NYC

Panel: Gender Equality Issues in Both Countries | Kristín Ástgeirsdóttir; Deborah Gillis; Ambassador Gréta Gunnarsdóttir, Permanent Representative of Iceland to the United Nations; moderated by Lisa Kassenaar, Editor-at-

Large, Global Women’s Coverage, Bloomberg News

Presentation #3: Challenges for Women in Business | Marsha Firestone, Women Presidents Organization

Panel: Challenges for Women Business Owners Today | Marsha Firestone; Herdís Fjeldsted, The Enterprise Investment Fund; Guðbjörg Glód Logadóttir, Founder and CEO, Fylgifiskar; moderated by Nancy Ploeger, MCC

Closing Remarks | His Excellency Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, President of Iceland”

Presented by The Icelandic-American Chamber of Commerce and the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with The American-Scandinavian Foundation; and co-sponsored by Icelandair, Eimskip, Siggi’s Skyr, Össur, High Liner Foods, and Century Aluminum.

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Photo by the American-Scandinavian Foundation

THU – 5-1-14 – 8:15 AM
free