Ellect Stars in Gender Equality
Recognising organisations committed to gender-balanced leadership
Organisations with gender-balanced leadership teams consistently outperform their peers in innovation, decision-making, employee engagement, and business performance.
Ellect Stars recognises organisations that are committed to creating balanced leadership teams and building workplaces where talent can thrive regardless of gender.
Ellect Stars celebrates organisations that have achieved gender-balanced leadership. Assessment is independent, through Atlas by Cultural Infusion. It is free to apply.
Measure through Atlas.
Be recognised through Ellect Stars.
Demonstrate your commitment to gender-balanced leadership.
WHY ELLECT STARS?
Gender-balanced leadership is no longer just a diversity initiative. It is a business imperative.
Employees, customers, investors and stakeholders increasingly expect organisations to demonstrate their commitment to balanced leadership and inclusive workplace practices.
Ellect Stars provides organisations with an opportunity to:
- Demonstrate leadership commitment
- Strengthen employer brand and reputation
- Attract and retain diverse talent
- Benchmark progress against recognised standards
- Celebrate achievements publicly
- Showcase leadership accountability
Ellect Stars helps organisations move beyond intentions and demonstrate measurable commitment to gender-balanced leadership.
INDEPENDENT ASSESSMENT PARTNER
To ensure the integrity and credibility of the accreditation process, Ellect has partnered with Cultural Infusion’s Atlas platform as the independent assessment partner for Ellect Stars.
Atlas provides a structured assessment process to determine eligibility for Ellect Stars accreditation, ensuring consistency, transparency and credibility for participating organisations.
This partnership allows organisations to gain trusted recognition while maintaining an independent assessment process.
HOW IT WORKS
Step 1 – Apply
Register your interest in Ellect Stars accreditation.
Step 2 – Assessment
Complete the independent assessment through Atlas by Cultural Infusion.
Step 3 – Accreditation
Eligible organisations receive Ellect Stars recognition based on the accreditation criteria.
Step 4 – Celebrate
Promote your achievement and demonstrate your commitment to gender-balanced leadership to employees, customers, investors and stakeholders. ip to employees, customers, investors and stakeholders.
The Accreditation Criteria
We rated more than 10,000 companies on women in leadership. Fewer than 5% meet the Ellect Stars criteria.
The criteria we use are deliberately simple, because balance at the top is not complicated to measure. It is only difficult to achieve.
Ellect Stars assesses four things:
⭐ At least one woman as Chief Executive Officer or Chief Financial Officer
⭐ A woman Board Chair
⭐ At least 25% women on the Board of Directors
⭐ At least 25% women on the Senior Leadership Team
Meet three of the four and your organisation is accredited.
Silver and Gold
Not every organisation arrives at balance the same way, so we recognise two levels.
Both carry full Ellect Stars accreditation, the digital badge and the recognition materials. Gold simply says you have gone further.
We settled on three of four rather than all four because organisations reach balance from different directions. Some have a woman leading the business.
Others have built depth across the board and the leadership team first. Both are real progress, and both deserve recognition.
What It Costs
There is no fee to apply. Every application is assessed first, and you only hear about cost if your organisation qualifies.
Organisations that meet the criteria are invited to proceed. The annual accreditation fee is USD $495, the same for Silver and Gold, payable after approval and before accreditation is issued.
That includes your accreditation status, the digital badge, recognition materials, listing as an accredited organisation, and use of the accreditation for twelve months. Accreditation is renewed annually.
Not There Yet?
Most organisations are somewhere along the way rather than at the end of it.
If your organisation does not currently meet three of the four criteria, the assessment still tells you something worth knowing. You will see exactly where you stand today, which of the four you already meet, and where the gap sits.
A helpful first step can be simply finding out. There is no cost to apply and no obligation if the answer is not what you hoped.
Ellect Stars exists to recognise achievement, and also to make progress visible.
WHO SHOULD APPLY?
Ellect Stars is designed for organisations that are committed to creating greater balance within leadership and decision-making roles.
This includes:
- Publicly listed companies
- Private companies
- Professional services firms
- Government organisations
- Not-for-profit organisations
- Growing businesses seeking to strengthen leadership diversity
Whether you are beginning your journey or already demonstrating strong representation, Ellect Stars provides recognition for progress and achievement.
THE BENEFITS OF ACCREDITATION
Recognition through Ellect Stars can help organisations:
- Enhance employer branding
- Demonstrate leadership accountability
- Support diversity and inclusion objectives
- Strengthen attraction and retention strategies
- Increase stakeholder confidence
- Showcase commitment to balanced leadership
- Build trust with employees and customers
Hear From These Gender Equality Champions
Hear directly from the organisations and leaders who’ve embraced the Ellect Stars badge and are driving real change.
Their experiences reflect the power of gender equality and inclusive leadership.
Hear From These Gender Equality Champions
Hear directly from the organisations and leaders who’ve embraced the Ellect Stars badge and are driving real change. Their experiences reflect the power of gender equality and inclusive leadership.
Magdalena Kosior-Molloy
Chief Operating and Financial Officer
Holman Webb Lawyers
Manisha Amin
CEO
Centre for Inclusive Design
Jill Robinson
Founder & CEO
Animals Asia
What are the criteria?
Four measures of women's representation across leadership and governance. Your organisation needs to meet at least three of them. The full list is above.
What is the difference between Silver and Gold?
Silver means three of the four criteria are met. Gold means all four. Both carry full accreditation and the same annual fee.
How much does it cost?
Applying is free. If your organisation is approved, the annual accreditation fee is USD $495.
What if we do not qualify?
The assessment shows you where your organisation stands and which criteria you already meet. There is no cost and no obligation.
What information will we need to provide?
Organisation name, website, country, your executive leadership team and board members with their LinkedIn profiles, and an organisation chart if you have one. That is enough for Atlas to assess eligibility independently.
READY TO FIND OUT WHERE YOUR ORGANISATION STANDS?
Take the first step towards independent recognition for your commitment to gender-balanced leadership.
Measure through Atlas.
Be recognised through Ellect Stars.
Demonstrate your commitment to gender-balanced leadership.