Over 115 Exchanges Unite For Gender Equality Event

In a universal global initiative advocating for gender equity, the World Federation of Exchanges (WFE), UN Women, UN Global Compact, UN Sustainable Stock Exchanges (SSE) initiative, and International Finance Corporation (IFC) have come together again for the 11th annual holding of the "Ring the Bell for Gender Equality" programme. This event brings together more than 115 stock exchanges globally, as well as other key stakeholders, to ring bells together to highlight the important role played by the private sector in driving gender equality.

Since its launch in 2015, when seven exchanges were involved, the event has recorded significant expansion, mirroring increasing support for gender inclusivity across the financial and corporate worlds. This year's theme is "Ring the Bell for ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality.". Empowerment," emphasizes the imperative for actions that lift women and girls across the globe. The effort spotlights how stock exchanges can become a transformative force—not merely through raising consciousness but also through opening up gender-inclusive access to financial markets, enhancing women's access to financial markets, and fostering women's leadership in companies.

Stock exchanges have enormous power over the markets they serve. By advocating gender-inclusive policies, they can promote sustainable investments, mobilize capital for gender-equality efforts, and promote increased female participation in business leadership. The event is a good reminder that gender equality is not only a moral or social need but also an important driver of economic growth and corporate success. Studies have repeatedly demonstrated that companies with more diverse workforces perform better, make better decisions, and are more robust in tough economic times.

Aside from the ceremonial function, "Ring the Bell for Gender Equality" has become a vehicle for actual change. Exchanges take advantage of this opportunity to make new policy announcements, note improvements in gender representation, or launch financial products that benefit women-owned businesses. Gender-lens investing, which directs capital to companies that advance gender equality, has picked up momentum in recent years, and stock exchanges are key to making these investments.

The event also promotes cooperation among exchanges, regulators, investors, and policymakers towards a more inclusive financial system. It creates an environment for best practice dialogue and innovative solutions that can drive positive change. Through participation, financial institutions and companies indicate that they are dedicated to building a fairer, more equitable market in which women have equal chances to succeed.

The project is supported by a group of powerful international organizations that have been at the forefront of gender equality for decades. The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a World Bank Group member, is the largest global development institution with a private sector focus in emerging markets. Operating in more than 100 countries, IFC uses its resources and technical expertise to build opportunities in developing countries, having invested a record $56 billion in fiscal year 2024 alone to help private enterprises and financial institutions.

The United Nations Sustainable Stock Exchanges (SSE) initiative gives a worldwide stage to exchanges, investors, issuers, and regulators to advance environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance. The SSE attempts to advance sustainable investments, and especially those focused on the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), by means of policy analysis, technical assistance, and stakeholder coordination.

The United Nations Global Compact is the world's largest business sustainability initiative, bringing together more than 20,000 businesses and several regional and country-level networks. Its purpose is to speed up responsible business practices, promoting the Ten Principles on human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption, and driving the realization of the SDGs.

UN Women, the UN agency that is committed to gender equality, has a crucial role in the development of policies and programs globally that promote women's rights. It collaborates with governments, corporations, and civil society organizations to make promises of gender equality a reality on the ground. UN Women is also at the forefront of the Women's Empowerment Principles (WEPs), an international framework that informs businesses in promoting gender equality in the workplace, marketplace, and community. By 2025, the WEPs initiative has engaged more than 10,000 CEOs and businesses in 190 nations, reflecting growing corporate commitment to gender inclusion.

World Federation of Exchanges (WFE), founded in 1961, is the international association representing more than 250 market infrastructure providers, i.e., exchanges and clearing houses. With presence across Asia-Pacific, EMEA, and Americas, WFE has a major role to ensure fair, efficient, and transparent financial markets. The total market capitalization of WFE's listed companies exceeds $110 trillion, with yearly trading volumes being more than $140 trillion.

Through the unification for the "Ring the Bell for Gender Equality" program, these institutions convey a strong message: gender equality is not only a social aspiration but an essential business and economic imperative. The fact that more than 115 stock exchanges participated in 2025 indicates the growing realization of this truth among the world's financial markets.

This effort continues to pick up speed, echoing a global trend towards sustainable and equitable economic growth. As more exchanges, investors, and companies make commitments to gender-related policies and investments, the financial sector can spur real change in eradicating barriers to women and girls globally.

The complete list of global exchanges participating and additional information on how to be involved with the initiative is accessible through the global partners' websites. With each bell tolled, the world takes one step closer towards an equal and empowered future for all.