The Botswana Stock Exchange Limited (BSEL), like all the stock exchanges around the world, celebrated the International Women’s Day with the Co-Chair of the Global HIV Prevention Coalition and the Co-Chair of the Nursing Now Global Campaign, Professor Sheila Tlou.
The theme was, ‘Balance for Better’, focusing the center of the conversation on celebrating women’s achievements and contributions in Botswana as it strives towards a more gender-balanced world.
“To bring vibrancy and energy to the stock market through leaving no one behind and ensuring that everyone participates equally in the development of Botswana. The presence of our young mentees from Lobatse Senior Secondary School, representing the students who participated in the Finance and Investment Competition, is a great attestation to that objective,” said Prof Sheila Tlou in official opening remarks.
She said, “It is also very commendable that 56% of BSEL staff members are women, not congregated in the lower levels but right there in the executive management positions where women make up 57% of senior staff members. BSEL is showing us that there is no such thing as a glass ceiling.”
The year 2019 marks the 5th anniversary of the ringing of bell initiative which this year coincided in with the celebration of International Women’s Day. The BSE pioneered the ringing of the bell initiative in celebration of International Women’s Day last year (2018) at the BSE Listings and Investment Conference because it is a partner exchange of the UN Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative.
According to the SSE Gender report women take home 1/10 of global income while accounting for 2/3 of the global working hours. Girls and women only have access to equal education in only 25 countries.
The UN indicates that 740million women currently make their living in the informal economy with limited access to social protection, public services and infrastructure that could increase their productivity and income security.
Most of these are young women and so it was fitting that the BSEL bell ceremony was performed by its Business Development Manager (BDM), who is a relatively young woman. It is believed if additional investment is made in young people, the region could double its share of the global labour force by 2050, unlocking a better life for hundreds of millions of people.
According to officials if all girls received 12 years of high quality education, women’s lifetime earnings would increase by as much as $30 trillion, which is bigger than people’s access to quality diversified education and quality health care as twin engines of economic growth.
Speaking at the event Thapelo Moribame, BSEL Head of Market Development, said “We started Opening Bell Ceremonies in June of 2018 have had dignitaries, business people and diplomats and this one is my favorite because it links the BSE to a cause that is important which is gender equality.”
She said, “As you are aware the BSE does not just operate in isolation, we are member of international organizations that do not only provide an extension to our mandate from an issuance and investment perspective, but from a responsible citizen perspective.”
