Bucharest, Romania, March 8, 2018—IFC,
a member of the World Bank Group, joined the Bucharest Stock Exchange today
in a global initiative to “Ring the Bell for Gender Equality”— a partnership
that highlights how the private sector can spur women’s participation
in the global economy and promote sustainable development.
For the fourth consecutive year, stock exchanges around the world, including
the Bucharest Stock Exchange, will “Ring the Bell for Gender Equality”
to celebrate International Women’s Day. This year, over 60 stock exchanges
across the world participated in the event, ringing opening or closing
bells to mark International Women’s Day 2018.
The Bucharest event highlighted IFC’s support to women entrepreneurs in
Romania, including recent loans totaling €32 million to Garanti Group
Romania, with half the money earmarked for on-lending to companies owned
or managed by women. IFC is also building capacity, raising awareness,
and expanding the discussion about gender diversity on boards in the country.
Benefits include improved financial performance and shareholder value,
and rising investor confidence.
“As business leaders, entrepreneurs, employees and consumers, women are
fundamental to inclusive growth,” said Thomas Lubeck, IFC Regional Manager
for Central and Southeast Europe. “IFC will continue supporting women
entrepreneurs in Romania, either directly or through our partner banks,
and we remain committed to promoting the business case for gender diversity
on boards, and in corporate leadership.”
IFC’s support for gender-smart business solutions includes working with
companies around the world to generate opportunities for women that also
contribute to bottom line benefits; leveraging its relationship with over
1,000 financial institutions and private equity funds to expand access
to finance for female entrepreneurs; and promoting good corporate governance
practices such as board diversity. With 30 percent female representation
among IFC nominee directors on the boards of its own investee companies
today, IFC has set a goal of gender parity.
The “Ring the Bell for Gender Equality” event is a partnership between
IFC, the Sustainable
Stock Exchanges (SSE) Initiative,
the UN
Global Compact,
UN
Women, Women
in ETFs, and the World
Federation of Stock Exchanges.
About IFC
IFC—a sister organization of the World Bank and member of the World Bank
Group—is the largest global development institution focused on the private
sector in emerging markets. We work with more than 2,000 businesses worldwide,
using our capital, expertise, and influence to create markets and opportunities
in the toughest areas of the world. In FY17, we delivered a record $19.3
billion in long-term financing for developing countries, leveraging the
power of the private sector to help end poverty and boost shared prosperity.
For more information, visit www.ifc.org
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Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative
The SSE is a peer-to-peer learning platform for exploring how exchanges—in
collaboration with investors, regulators, and companies—can encourage
sustainable investment and enhance corporate transparency, and ultimately
performance, on ESG (environmental, social and corporate governance) issues.
The SSE is convened by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD),
the UN Global Compact, the UN Environment Program Finance Initiative (UNEP
FI), and the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI). For more
information on specific exchanges’ sustainability efforts, how to become
a Partner Stock Exchange, and further opportunities to advance the integration
of sustainability within capital markets, visit www.sseinitiative.org.
Follow us on Twitter: @sseinitiative
UN Global Compact
The United Nations Global Compact is a call to companies everywhere to
align their operations and strategies with ten universally accepted principles
in the areas of human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption, and
to take action in support of UN goals and issues embodied in the Sustainable
Development Goals. The UN Global Compact is a leadership platform for the
development, implementation and disclosure of responsible corporate practices.
Launched in 2000, it is the largest corporate sustainability initiative
in the world, with more than 9,500 companies and 3,000 non-business signatories
based in over 160 countries, and more than 70 Local Networks. For more
information, visit www.unglobalcompact.org.
Follow us on Twitter: @globalcompact
UN Women
UN Women is the UN organization dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment
of women. A global champion for women and girls, UN Women was established
to accelerate progress on meeting their needs worldwide. UN Women supports
UN Member States as they set global standards for achieving gender equality,
and works with governments and civil society to design laws, policies,
programs and services needed to implement these standards. UN Women also
coordinates and promotes the UN system’s work in advancing gender equality.
For more information, visit www.unwomen.org
Women in ETFs
Women in ETFs is the first women’s group for the ETF industry. Founded
in January 2014, WE is a non-profit organization that brings together over
3,700 members, including women and men, in chapters in major financial
centers across the United States, Canada, EMEA and Asia Pacific to further
the careers of women by leveraging our collective skill and ambition. Women
in ETFs brings together women and men in the ETF industry in the United
States, Canada, EMEA and Asia Pacific to: 1. CONNECT: Create opportunities
for professional advancement of women by expanding connections among women
and men in the ETF industry, 2. SUPPORT: Offer guidance for the current
and next generation of women in ETFs and 3. INSPIRE: WE achieves this by
organizing events at our chapters globally that support our goals of education,
networking, philanthropy and idea sharing across the industry and beyond.
For more information, visit: www.
womeninetfs.com to learn more,
join, or sponsor. Follow us on Twitter: @WomeninETFs and on Linkedin: Women
in ETFs
World Federation of Exchanges (WFE)
Established in 1961, the WFE is the global industry association for exchanges
and clearing houses. The WFE is the definitive source for exchange-traded
statistics and publishes over 350 market data indicators. WFE exchanges
are home to nearly 45,000 listed companies. The WFE promotes the development
of fair, efficient and transparent markets. It works with policy makers,
regulators and standard-setters around the world to support the development
of effective rules and standards for exchanges and market participants.
For more information, please visit: https://www.world-exchanges.org
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