The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) joined the rest of the world on Friday, March 6, 2020, to commemorate the International Women’s Day (IWD) by hosting a half day symposium and bell ringing ceremony for gender equality at The Exchange, Lagos.
With the theme “Each for Equal”, the event focused on individual actions, conversations, behaviours and mindsets that will accelerate progress and impact on the advancement of women across all spheres of life in line with The Exchange’s objectives.
The event, organized in partnership with the World Federation of Exchanges (WFE) and Sustainable Stock Exchange Initiative (SSEI), International Finance Corporation (IFC), UN Women, and the United Nations Global Compact Network Nigeria (GCNN), brought together male and female thought leaders from a wide array of industries to celebrate the accomplishments of women and champion the discourse on how to forge a gender equal world.
Speaking at the event, Mr Oscar N. Onyema OON, Chief Executive Officer, NSE said, “When I learnt of this year’s theme, ‘Each for Equal’, my mind raced to the implications of a truly equal and balanced world; a world where men and women make equal contributions to the society, enjoy equal opportunities, and even enjoy the same rewards and benefits. Going by the growing body of evidence out there, it is safe to conclude that the multiplier effect on families, businesses, communities, economies and ultimately, nations would be indeed phenomenal.
“Despite the identified benefits increased women participation is poised to deliver, women continue to face an uphill battle in achieving true gender parity. As a member of the Sustainable Stock Exchange Initiative (SSEI), the Exchange prioritizes the issues of gender equality and balance and is working assiduously to accelerate the achievement of Goal 5 of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) which seeks to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls by 2030. We have, therefore, adopted a collaborative approach to implement pivotal initiatives in commemoration of IWD 2020.”