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Global Stock Exchanges Celebrate IWD

Wednesday 30th March 2016

NasdaqThirty-four stock exchanges around the world honored this year’s International Women’s Day, inviting the UN Global Compact, the Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative, UN Women, the International Finance Corporation, The World Federation of Exchanges and Women in ETFs, along with other key stakeholders, to “Ring the Bell for Gender Equality.”

Now in its second year, “Ring the Bell for Gender Equality” raises awareness about the business case for women’s economic empowerment and how the private sector can help close the gaps. Major stock exchanges participating in this year’s celebration included the Australian Securities Exchange in Australia, the Toronto Stock Exchange in Canada, Euronext Paris in Frankfurt, Deutsche Borse in Germany, Hong Kong Exchanges Clearing in China, Bombay Stock Exchange in India, Johannesburg Stock Exchange in South Africa, London Stock Exchange in the UK, and the Nasdaq and New York Stock Exchange in the US.

“Stock exchanges provide a natural high-visibility platform in which to amplify the gender equality message,” said Joanne Hill, Head of Institutional Investment Strategy at ProShares and Co-Founder and Co-President of Women in ETFs, which hosted the Nasdaq bell ringing and 15 others.

Global Banking Alliance for Women Vice President Rebecca Ruf participated in the ringing of the closing bell of the Nasdaq March 8, where Women in ETFs’ Deborah Fuhr and UN Women’s Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka spoke about the importance of gender equality to sustainable development and business.