Women in Technology − ICON awarded Equality Mark Certificate

ICON has announced that it has recently been awarded the highly distinguished Equality Mark Certificate. This was achieved by pursuing a philosophy and implementing practical policies to ensure gender equality in the workplace and promoting the role of women in technology.

This award, received from the National Commission for the Promotion of Equality, certifies ICON as an equal opportunities employer that demonstrates a commitment towards best practices in the area of gender equality.

“We are proud to award the Equality Mark certificate to ICON that hails from the ICT sector. This is recognition of the fact that the organisation has made gender equality one of its values thus promoting the potential of all their employees irrespective of their gender or caring responsibilities,” said Renee Laiviera, commissioner and acting executive director of the National Commission for the Promotion of Equality.

ICON is one of Malta's most experienced software development and digital marketing companies. Having been in the business for over a decade and a half, the company has worked with various leading, national and international clients alike in an extensive range of industries including financial services, telecommuni- cations and hospitality.

ICON has already received several awards and recognitions throughout the years. It is a Microsoft Partner, Google Partner and is both iOS and Android licensed. In 2015, ICON was awarded with ISO 9001:2008 certification and its team members are ITIL certified as well as Google Certified.

Leading by example has always been at the core of ICON’s vision. By demonstrating that the rights, responsibilities and opportunities of its employees are not determined by gender, ICON has once again proved why it is one of the leading companies in the ICT sector in Malta. On receiving this certificate, ICON has joined the ranks of 60 other Maltese companies that have proved their dedication to the cause.

Women are still in a distinct minority in the technology workforce in Malta, with an even smaller proportion of female executives having corporate leadership roles. In contrast to this reality, research indicates that companies that do offer opportunities for female leadership roles benefit from increased profitability, innovation and return on investment. Clearly advancing the careers of female employees is crucial in today’s economy. Malta has shown a lot of progression in the past few decades, however, there is still a long way to go before gender equality becomes integrated nationally.

Dr Gege Gatt, director and deputy Equality officer at ICON, holds a strong belief that gender equality is essential for both the human and the corporate aspect of any organisation. “At ICON we strive to be progressive and as a result we are fortunate to have a team of accomplished women in our ranks. We are proud to say that our top-performing female employees work tirelessly to prove that careers in ICT are not only for men. We believe that there are ample opportunities for technology careers in Malta and ICON will encourage and support the upcoming generation by providing meaningful female role models who are leaders in technology. Acquiring the Equality Mark has allowed ICON to proceed further in this quest and demonstrate its commitment to the cause.” For more information visit www.icon.com.mt/news/iconreceives-equality-markcertificate/