UN Women has teamed up with the other Ring the Bell for Gender Equality (RTB) partners for the ninth consecutive year to co-organize RTB events and stock exchanges in commemoration of the 2023 International Women’s Day (IWD). Over 110 exchanges from more than 90 countries will participate in this year's event. It represents an opportunity to raise awareness of gender equality in the private sector, including in relation to the WEPs, issues related to the economy, finance, sustainable development, and the 2023 IWD theme (technology and innovation for gender equality (see here)).
UN Women is co-hosting these events with our Ring the Bell partners IFC, Sustainable Stock Exchanges (SSE) initiative, UN Global Compact and The World Federation of Exchanges.
Exchanges that have participated in the past eight years of ringing the bell for gender equality have made progress.
In November-December 2022, the RTB partners launched a joint survey to better understand what the exchanges are focusing on during the rest of the year. 23 exchanges participated in the survey.
Here are some highlights of the survey findings:
Internally,
- 78% had implemented internal gender equality measures
- 61% had evaluated and disclosed its progress on gender equality
- 44% had built gender equality into its touch points
- 13% had reported on the WEPs
Externally, – market-focused activities
- 70% collaborated to promote broader market action on gender equality
- 52% promoted transparency on the market’s gender performance
- 26% had encouraged listed companies to adopt the WEPs
As of Feb 2023, over 30 exchanges have signed the WEPs and are working to implement them internally and influence listed companies to also make a commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment in the workplace, marketplace and community.
We invite you to explore:
- How to use sustainable bonds to credibly access financing for projects and strategies that advance gender equality objectives and achieve lasting impact here.
- Practical examples from around the world of how exchanges can promote gender equality in their markets here. See also a brief video message here
- How exchanges can advance gender equality - updated guidance and best practice here
UN Women’s theme for International Women’s Day 2023, “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality”, recognizes and celebrates the women and girls who are championing the advancement of transformative technology and digital education.
The full list of exchanges and CCPs can be found here.