News: "Ring the Bell for Gender Equality" on Zagreb Stock Exchange

Zagreb, March 8, 2023 ‒ The Zagreb Stock Exchange is again among more than 100 world stock exchanges where the beginning of trading on the occasion of International Women's Day was marked by the symbolic sound of the stock exchange bell.

On this occasion, the following shared their experience on the position of women in high positions in the business and financial sector: Eva Horvat, Member of the Raiffeisen Pension Fund Management Board, Maja Bešević Vlajo, Executive Director of the Development and Investment Banking Sector of Podravska banka and president of CFA Association Croatia, Vedrana Jelušić Kašić, member of the Management Board of Privredna banka Zagreb and Ivana Gažić, president of the Management Board of the Zagreb Stock Exchange.

They summarized their thoughts in a commemorative video.





The messages that have been sent give a slightly more optimistic picture regarding equality, but the statistics are still not in favor of women: on a global level, women have only 19.7% of board seats, 15.7% of CFO positions, 6.7 % % of board chairmen and only 5% of executive director positions. Such statistics show just how important a role the business and financial sector can play in empowering women as an important global goal of sustainable development.

‘What is much needed in the world today is as many women as possible in all branches of business, in all positions. It is critical that the business world is shaped and adapted for both gender equally,' said Ivana Gažić, president of the Zagreb Stock Exchange Management Board.

For the ninth year in a row, the Ring the Bell for Gender Equality was held in many countries around the world to highlight the important role of the business sector in promoting gender equality, in order to achieve sustainable development goals and raise awareness of women's empowerment. The global event is organized by the UN Global Compact with UN Women, the Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative (UN SSE), the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the World Stock Exchange Federation (WFE). 

Zagreb Stock Exchange is a member of the UN Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative (UN SSE).