2Aug2021
The Female Opportunity Index 2021
Digital Bank N26 has released a study which measures female opportunity and achievement around the world. Aimed at shining a light on gender equality in business, government and society, the research looks to uncover the many existing inequalities between men and women in the workplace and beyond. It also highlights the incredible achievements of women in both professional and personal fields in a difficult and tumultuous year because of the global pandemic.
The research turned to the number of women in the typically male-dominated arenas, focusing on the percentage of women actually working in that field after graduation. Next, as all women know, fair and equal pay is one of the biggest issues prominent in the workplace, so the average salary and the gender wage gap was calculated in each country. To help highlight what this means in real terms, the ‘Equal Pay Day’ was calculated for each nation based on the gender wage gap, revealing which day women practically work for free until the end of the year.
Among others, these interesting results showed up:
- Norway is the highest ranking country in the index, scoring highly on political representation, corporate leadership and women’s legislation. Finland and Iceland rank second and third.
- Rwanda has most women in government positions, followed by Spain and Finland. Almost half of the countries (46%) in the index have had at least one female head of government in the last 50 years.
- Sweden has the most women in top management positions, while the USA has the most female entrepreneurs, and Japan has the highest female access to education score.
Increased competition and economic diversification support the recovery in Iceland
Rising exports are helping to restore economic growth in Iceland after the blow from the COVID-19 crisis, even though tourism is still recovering. Further diversifying the economy and pursuing structural reforms to boost productivity growth will be key to building a strong and sustainable recovery.
The latest OECD Economic Survey of Iceland says that once the recovery is well underway, support to households and firms can give way to fiscal consolidation. Lowering barriers for capital, improving skills and offering well-targeted support for business Research and Development (R&D) would help to drive innovation and growth. Investing in low-carbon infrastructure and incentivizing research in green technologies would help Iceland to advance on its ambitions to green its economy.
“Iceland’s economy was hit hard by the COVID-19 crisis but is now well on the road to recovery thanks to effective policy action,” said OECD Director of Economic Country Studies Alvaro Pereira, presenting the report alongside Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs Bjarni Benediktsson. “Going forward, reforms to unlock Iceland’s potential for further innovation and productivity growth, while advancing the low-carbon transition, will be key.”
The Survey projects GDP growth of 2.8% in 2021 and 4.7% in 2022 after a contraction of 6.6% in 2020. A plan in place to increase spending on infrastructure, the digital transition, the green economy and R&D by around 0.5 percentage points of GDP will further support the rebound.
TotalEnergies launches dedicated hybrid transmission fluid for Great Wall Motors
TotalEnergies and Great Wall Motors (GWM) have developed a tailor-made fluid, Quartz EV-DHTF2, for GWM’s latest “L.E.M.O.N.” Dedicated Hybrid Transmission (DHT). This highly integrated, high-efficiency, multi-mode gasoline-electric hybrid system features dual-motor hybrid technology, which achieves a perfect balance at all speeds and in all scenarios between high efficiency and high performance.
Great Wall Motors, China’s leading car manufacturer, is a key player in the development of electric vehicles. As a pioneer in electric vehicle fluids, TotalEnergies has been actively supporting GWM in the development of new driveline technologies for many years.
The launch of this new product is an embodiment and a milestone of this strong collaboration. It adds a new brick to the Quartz EV Fluid range and is customized to meet GWM’s needs on its DHT application. In addition to gears & bearings lubrication, Quartz EV-DHTF2 also offers excellent fuel economy, optimal temperature control for the hybrid transmission (especially the electric motor), protection against shortcuts and static electricity as well as excellent compatibility with copper coils and polymer materials used in the electric engine. These properties ensure a proper functionality of the DHT and maximize the durability of the components.
New technological solutions for governments require effective communication and education
Since the beginning of last year, governments have been pouring investments into e-systems, which can be largely attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic and the outlined need for e-solutions. However, some experts say that despite the increased focus on e-government projects, there is a noticeable tendency to overlook the importance of boosting public engagement before and after their implementation, highlighting their result to the stakeholders.
Mindaugas Glodas, CEO at NRD Companies, a global information technology and consulting group specializing in e-governance and development of economic digital infrastructures, which has implemented e-government solutions in more than 50 countries, said that the development of various GovTech projects needs to combine several integral aspects to be successful: public involvement in the project, employee training, and effective IT project communication.
“Engaging communication with the public and businesses is essential in order for them to not be reluctant to use or apathetic towards new governmental initiatives,” said Mr Glodas. “Communication about their added value is essential for the technological innovations to work and prove beneficial for both the governments and the public.”
To effectively enable new GovTech solutions and boost the involvement of stakeholders, Mr Glodas suggests tools such as precise campaign planning, clear lines of communication, appropriate distribution channels, quality content and gamification.
