Study on non-legislative initiatives for companies to promote gender ...

Gender equality initiatives 83
The amaZone prize is awarded by the association sprungbrett. The main objective of
sprungbrett is to support girls during the process of occupational choice in order to
broaden the spectrum of possible careers. By doing that, sprungbrett helps to reduce
the impendence of unemployment and to increase the chance of adequately utilising
the girls’ qualifications in the labour market. amaZone is an award for enterprises in
Vienna and the bordering districts. The prize is awarded once a year. After interested
enterprises have filled in the application form, sprungbrett identifies eligible enterprises.
Two consultants and two trainers are visiting the training places and interview both
trainers and female apprentices. A female jury consisting of experts in the fields of
economy, politics, labour market policy and media is deciding on the ranking,
nomination and winners by taking into account interview transcripts with all involved
enterprises and persons. The day of awarding the prize is divided into two parts: In the
morning, enterprises present their company and interested girls have the possibility to
attend workshops. In the afternoon, there is the award ceremony which in 2009 was
held in the City Hall of Vienna.
The prize is addressed to SMEs (up to 150 employees), large scale enterprises (150
employees and more) and public enterprises as well as enterprises financed or
controlled by public funds (e.g. educational institutions, municipalities, chambers,
ministries). They must train one or more female apprentices in non-traditional girls’
professions (according to a list of professions provided by sprungbrett). The prize also
addresses female apprentices in professions which do not correspond to traditional
vocational career choice of girls. These are professions which have a share of female
apprentices lower than 40 %. In general, firms have to fulfil the promotion and quality
standards of vocational training for girls in technical professions and have to provide an
adequate working atmosphere, in particular as assessed by the female apprentices.
Prizes are also found in the Northern countries Norway and Sweden: In Norway there is
the “Kunnskapsdepartementets likestillingspris” (Ministry of Education and Research
gender equality award) which is awarded to an institution, faculty, department or
(private) research institute that has adopted action plans for gender equality and made
significant achievements to improve gender equality in their workplaces. In Sweden,
there is “Annas Jämställdhetspris” (Anna’s equal opportunities prize) which addresses
good practices in gender equality and opportunities in enterprises in the banking and
financial sector.
Lists of best workplaces for women – special awards in the frame of Great Place
to Work®
Six prizes (five national prizes/rankings and the international initiative as such) have
been identified which are awarded in the frame of Great Place to Work®. The Great
Place to Work® Institute is a private research and management consultancy based in
the USA with international affiliate offices throughout the world, including the European
countries Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy,
Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands and United
Kingdom. The Great Place to Work® Institute Europe is committed to support its
European affiliates in their efforts to help enterprises and other organisations across all
sectors to achieve lasting improvements in their workplace relationships that produce
measurable business benefits. In each participating country, a list of best workplaces is
organised each year.