Yemisi Izuora
For the fourth consecutive year, The Nigerian Stock Exchange 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. Themed “Press for Progress”, this edition of the celebration 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 organise a half-day symposium which will be headlined by the Deputy British Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, Laure Beaufils and Dame Abimbola Fashola, former First Lady of Lagos State and Chairman, Learn NGO/Ella Care. This free to attend symposium will also feature panel discussions by an array of thought leaders that include Tinuade Awe, Executive Director, Regulation, NSE; Patience Kunene, Executive Director, World Bank; Oscar N. Onyema, OON, CEO, NSE; Ali Baba, Nigeria’s foremost Stand-up Comedian and Actor; and Dan Agbor, Partner, Udo Udoma and Belo-Osagie amongst others. The event will be moderated by Titi-the-Dynamite.
The symposium is being organised 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). It will attract about 200 female participants from the corporate, education, government and non-governmental sectors, who will stand a chance to win great prizes during the raffle draw.
Commenting on the planned celebration, Olumide Orojimi, Head, Corporate Communications stated “As a sustainable stock exchange, we are pleased to offer our platform to putting the required spotlight on the call for recognition of the achievements of women, and supporting 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”.
“Currently at The Exchange, we promote a working 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 (3) female members at the last 2017 Annual General Meeting. Today, NSE has 23% female representation on the National Council as opposed to the zero representation in 2016”, Orojimi added.
The NSE International Women’s Day Symposium provides an opportunity for participants and women in particular, to partake in the exchange of stimulating stories of women’s achievements as well as celebrate what women have done and what women can do. It is also an avenue to showcase the NSE and its partners’ commitment to supporting the aspirations of women and girls as essential ingredients for building a more sustainable world.