Dhaka: An event titled “Ring the Bell for Gender Equality” was held at the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) to commemorate International Women’s Day. The programme was jointly organized on March 11 by the DSE, International Finance Corporation (IFC), Sustainable Stock Exchanges, World Federation of Exchanges, UN Global Compact, and UN Women.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the event was supported by the Embassy of Denmark, represented by Mr. Anders B. Kaelsen, deputy head of Mission. Shama Obaed Islam, MP, state minister for Ministry of Foreign Affairs, attended the programme virtually as the chief guest, while Farzana Lalarukh, commissioner of the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC), was present as a special guest. The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day was “Rights. Justice. Action. For All women and girls.”
In her speech, Shama Obaed Islam highlighted the capital market’s pivotal role in achieving the government’s economic objectives. She emphasized the importance of transparency and accountability within the stock exchange and the regulatory commission to ensure effective oversight and monitoring. She also stressed the need to introduce new products and investment opportunities to deepen the market and integrate it with global supply chains.
DSE Managing Director Nuzhat Anwar, in her opening remarks, underscored the positive impact of empowering women on families, societies, and nations. Navanita Sinha, deputy country representative of UN Women, highlighted that women in Bangladesh perform significantly more unpaid care work than men and are underrepresented in leadership positions. She noted the economic benefits of gender equality and called for collaborative efforts to remove barriers to gender equality.
The event concluded with a bell-ringing ceremony led by Anders B. Kaelsen and other dignitaries to commemorate International Women’s Day. This was followed by a panel discussion on women’s leadership, featuring prominent figures like Melita Mehjabeen and Ms. Uzma Chowdhury. Farzana Lalarukh noted initiatives to increase women’s participation on boards for good governance, while Mominul Islam, Chairman of DSE, emphasized the importance of balanced representation in the financial sector to mitigate excessive risk-taking.