APPS
APPS
In 1975, 90 percent of Icelandic women walked out, leaving workplaces, schools, and homes, and brought the nation to a standstill. That single day reshaped history, proving the indispensable role of women in society and igniting a movement that would help position Iceland as a global leader in gender equality.
This CORE Impact Story follows the arc from that historic moment to today’s Reykjavik Global Initiative, where Icelandic leaders and global changemakers gather to transform dialogue into action. What began as a national awakening has become an international platform advancing inclusive leadership, measurable progress, and systemic change across sectors.
From one bold act of collective courage to a worldwide movement for equality, this story captures how history becomes momentum, and how momentum becomes lasting change.
00:00 | 2027
COMING SOON TO CORE
CORE+ is partnering with the Reykjavik Global Initiative to translate the insights, research, and convenings of the Reykjavik Global Forum into a practical, scalable leadership toolkit that can be implemented across institutions worldwide.
Together, CORE+ and the Reykjavik Global Initiative are developing a structured suite of learning journeys, digital resources, and measurable action frameworks designed to help partner organizations operationalize gender equity and inclusive leadership. Rather than limiting impact to annual gatherings, this collaboration ensures that the Initiative’s principles live on as adaptable tools within governments, multilateral institutions, universities, and corporations.
The CORE+ toolkit will integrate the Reykjavik Index for Leadership and other core pillars of the Initiative into interactive educational modules and strategic implementation guides. These tools are designed to support global partners such as UN Women, leading academic institutions including University of Iceland, as well as forward-thinking companies seeking to strengthen leadership diversity and measurable cultural transformation.
Importantly, by embedding research, data benchmarks, and actionable frameworks into institutional practice, this partnership has the potential to inform policy development and support the evolution of legislation around equality and gender equity. By equipping leaders with evidence-based tools and implementation strategies, CORE+ can help translate dialogue into structural change at both organizational and governmental levels.
Through CORE+, the Reykjavik Global Initiative’s research and convening power become a continuous learning ecosystem, combining storytelling, data, policy insight, and implementation strategy. The result is a globally accessible framework that supports institutions in moving from dialogue to action, embedding inclusive leadership practices into governance structures, corporate cultures, educational systems, and ultimately contributing to broader legislative progress.
This partnership transforms a global forum into an ongoing platform for measurable change, scalable, policy-informed, and designed to support the next generation of leaders across sectors and continents.
Reykjavik Global Initiative is a global leadership platform and community, created to advance gender equality and expand the presence and influence of women in leadership across sectors worldwide. The flagship Reykjavik Global Forum, Women Leaders was launched in 2018 under the theme “Power, Together!” and has grown into a premier annual convening that brings together presidents, prime ministers, business executives, academics, activists, and changemakers to collaborate on systemic solutions that promote equity and inclusive leadership.
More than a single event, the initiative functions as a year-round community and network where leaders connect, share insights, and collectively accelerate progress toward gender parity, informed by Iceland’s long-standing commitment to equality. Each year, the Forum attracts hundreds of global leaders who exchange best practices and co-create solutions that address barriers to women’s leadership in public life, business, and civil society.
The initiative’s impact is strengthened through signature frameworks such as the Reykjavik Index for Leadership and the Reykjavik Action Items, which provide evidence-based insights and policy-oriented commitments that inspire global adoption of equality strategies.
Reykjavik Global is supported by a distinguished global advisory board and leadership team, including Hanna Birna Kristjánsdóttir (Chair and Co-Founder); Adela Raz (Director of Afghanistan Policy Lab at Princeton); Katrín Jakobsdóttir (Prime Minister of Iceland and board member); Dr. Anino Emuwa (founder of 100 Women@Davos); Gary Barker (CEO & President of Equimundo); Eliza Reid (author and former First Lady of Iceland); Ragnheiður Elín Árnadóttir (Director of the OECD Development Centre); and numerous other leaders from international institutions, civil society, and the private sector.
Through its convenings, research, and collaborative initiatives, Reykjavik Global serves both as a catalyst for action and a platform where leaders, guided by shared purpose and partnership, work to transform global leadership norms and promote policies that support equality, representation, and inclusive governance.
Hanna Birna Kristjánsdóttir is an Icelandic leader and global advocate for gender equality and women’s leadership, with deep experience in public service, international policy, and global convening. She currently serves as Chair and Co-Founder of the Reykjavik Global Initiative (Reykjavik Global Forum) and is a Senior Advisor to UN Women, where she helps advance global strategies to expand women’s representation and influence across political, economic, and civic spheres.
Previously, Hanna Birna had a long and impactful political career in Iceland. She was Mayor of Reykjavík from 2008 to 2010, a member of the Icelandic Parliament (Althing) representing the Reykjavík South constituency, and served as Minister of the Interior in 2013–2014. During her time in public office, she also chaired the Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee and held leadership roles within Iceland’s Independence Party.
Educated in political science at the University of Iceland and holding a master’s degree in International and European Politics from the University of Edinburgh, Hanna Birna has blended domestic political leadership with international influence. Her work with Reykjavik Global and UN Women positions her at the intersection of global policy, gender equality advocacy, and leadership development, contributing to initiatives that inform strategy and action on equality issues worldwide.
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