Promoting gender equality

On the occasion of the International Women’s Day on 8 March 2017, the Sustainable Stock Exchanges (SSE) Initiative released its third report on How stock exchanges can advance gender equality. The report has been supported by GIZ’s Emerging Markets Dialogue on Finance (EMDF).

Studies repeatedly find that addressing gender equality will unlock trillions of dollars currently unrealised in investment value.

The report examines the contribution exchanges can specifically make towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goal 5: „Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision making in political, economic and public life“.

Recommendations to enhance stock exchanges’ impact on gender equality include:

• Transparency: Require reporting on gender metrics, i.e. related policies and objectives of listed companies
• Product offerings: Introduce gender equality standards into exchange-offered investment products
• Policies, training and education: Develop policies for topics such as female representation, pay parity, etc. in line with international best practices
• Advocacy and partnerships: Encourage listed companies to implement the Women’s Empowerment Principles, a holistic framework to advance gender equality in the workplace, marketplace and community.

Resources

• Report: How stock exchange can advance gender equality (Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative, Mar 2017)

Events

• 2017 Ring the Bell for Gender Equality in the United Kingdom (7 Mar 2017), Germany (9 Mar 2017), Chile (22 Mar 2017) and many more locations worldwide.

Press

• Forbes: Ring the Bell: Stock Exchange Initiative Calls Listed Businesses To Account On Gender Equality (5 Mar 2017)

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