More than 40 global ‘Ring the Bell for Gender Equality’ events to take place in March 2017

By: The WFE Focus Team Feb 2017

43 stock exchanges around the world will ‘Ring the Bell for Gender Equality’ between 6-10 March 2017, coordinating with International Women’s Day 2017 on Wednesday 8 March 2017.

These events - organised in partnership by the Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative, together with the UN Global Compact, UN Women, the IFC, Women in ETFs and the World Federation of Exchanges - raise awareness about the opportunities for the private sector to advance gender equality and sustainable development. The key message is that gender equality is central to driving the global economy, and the private sector has an important role to play.

The ‘Ring the Bell’ event series, themed Women at Work, will serve to highlight the role of women, and the opportunity for business. This will involve encouraging stakeholders to remove legal, social, and economic barriers that are restricting women’s economic empowerment.

As part of the events, participants are encouraged to make commitments to improve gender equality in their markets, such as signing the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs), improving diversity in senior management and on the board, developing more gender-friendly policies, developing a gender-themed investment product, or improving transparency on gender policies and practices.

A number of WFE member exchanges are taking part including: ASX, Euronext, BM&FBOVESPA, TMX Group, Bolsa de Valores de Colombia, Deutsche Boerse, Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing, BSE India Limited, National Stock Exchange of India, Irish Stock Exchange, Bolsa Mexicana de Valores, NZX Limited, Nigerian Stock Exchange, Johannesburg Stock Exchange, SIX Swiss Exchange, Bats, CBOE and Nasdaq.

Look out for the hashtag #genderbell during the w/c 6 March 2017.