The Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, will join other global exchanges on March 8, 2018, to ring the bell for gender equality in celebration of the 110th International Women’s Day (IWD), at the Stock Exchange House, Marina, Lagos. The Exchange, in a statement, said this year’s edition, themed, ‘Press for Progress’, is aimed at motivating and uniting everyone to think, act and be gender inclusive.
As part of the activities lined up for the 2018 International Women’s Day celebration, the NSE will organize a half-day symposium which will be headlined by the Deputy British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Laure Beaufils and Dame Abimbola Fashola, former First Lady of Lagos State and Chairman, Learn NGO/Ella Care.
The symposium is being organized in partnership with Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative, United Nations Women, United Nations Global Compact, International Finance Corporation, the World Federation of Exchanges, Women in ETFs, and Women in Management, Business and Public Service (WIMBIZ).
Commenting on the planned celebration, Olumide Orojimi, Head, Corporate Communications, NSE, stated: “As a sustainable Stock Exchange, we are pleased to offer our platform to put the required spotlight on the call for recognition of the achievements of women, and support the call for equality and justice.
“This initiative reaffirms our pledge for parity at the NSE and serves as a stimulant for our ecosystem to do same. We look forward to great insights that will accelerate the bridging of the gender gap, as we think 217 years, as contained in the World Economic Forum Global Gender Gap Report 2017, is a long time to wait to achieve gender parity.”
Orojimi added, “Currently at The Exchange, we promote a work environment that is inclusive for all as we believe that achieving gender equality is paramount to developing the society.
“We have a female to male employees’ ratio of 1:2 and we are making sure-footed steps to increase the number of women in our employment and especially those in leadership positions. The Exchange, in 2017, took steps to address the lack of female representation on its National Council by electing three female members at the last 2017 Annual General Meeting, AGM. Today, the NSE has 23 percent female representation on the National Council as opposed to the zero representation in 2016.″
