NSE joins Sustainable Stock Exchange Initiative, UN Global Compact, UN PRI, UN Women to ring the NSE Stock Market Closing Bell, in Celebration of International Women’s Day
The National Stock Exchange (NSE) has organised NSE Stock Market Closing Bell ceremony on 6 March 2017 prior to the International Women’s Day on 8 March, in an effort to create awareness about the importance of gender equality, as a critical UN sustainable development goal (SDG).
In celebration of International Women’s Day, 43 stock exchanges around the world, including NSE, would join the Sustainable Stock Exchanges initiative, UN Global Compact, UN Women, the International Finance Corporation, World Federation of Exchanges, and Women in ETFs, to ring the bell for gender equality.
The aim is to have stock exchanges across the globe, ring their bell to draw attention to the critical role business and stock exchanges can and should play in closing the gender inequality gap.
Veena Mankar, Non-Executive Chairperson, IDFC Bank and Founder & Chairperson, Swadhaar FinServe will deliver the key note address, while J Ravichandran, CEO-in-charge, NSE will deliver the opening address.
The event would be followed by the Leadership Roundtable- ‘Gender Equality in India: Taking stock of where we are and what more needs to be done’ with the participation of Aisha De Sequeira, Co-Country Head and Head of Investment Banking, Morgan Stanley, Shanti Ekambaram, President- Consumer Banking, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Radhika Gupta, CEO, Edelweiss Asset Management, Bala Deshpande, Senior Managing Director, New Enterprise Associates and Mallika Ghosh, Executive Director, Parinaam Foundation.
Says Ravichandran, “The private sector enterprises in India are increasingly recognising the benefits of gender equality. However, women across the globe are still facing inequality in pay parity, education and appointments for senior leadership roles. Exchanges across the globe can and must play a critical role of closing the gender equality gap.’’
“NSE is a signatory to the sustainable stock exchanges initiative and committed to the cause of gender equality. The Indian and global economy continue to strive towards UNCTAD’s gender equality and Sustainable development goals,” adds Ravichandran.
Interestingly, NSE has 34 per cent of women employees in its entire workforce, with 30 per cent representation on its Board.
NSE organises training programs for directorial skills and also facilitates on boarding of new female directors, with assistance from other board members. Moreover, it encourages its issuer companies to go beyond the legal mandate and have more than one woman director.
Its gender equality policies are so conducive that 84 per cent of the mothers return to work at the exchange. NSE offers flexible work options, maternity leave policy that incorporates 3-month extension with benefits covered and maternity bonus which is paid after employee resumes work.
Moreover, NSE is developing online and focus group trainings to create awareness and sensitisation to sexual harassment across the board, and till date, no sexual harassment complaint has been registered.
BW Reporters
The author is associate editor at BW Businessworld
