KARACHI: The Pakistan Stock Exchange on Wednesday gave the floor to the country’s leading women corporate leaders for performing the ‘opening bell ringing ceremony’.
This ‘gong ceremony’ was arranged by the PSX to express solidarity with the cause of promoting women’s inclusiveness and mainstreaming at top corporate leadership positions – an agenda being advanced by the Women on Board (WOB) Pakistan.
The ceremony was performed by WOB Pakistan Chairperson and PSX Independent Director Rahat Kaunain Hassan, Uniliver Pakistan Chairperson Shazia Syed and United Bank Limited CEO-designate Sima Kamil.
It may be mentioned that this year, more than 43 stock exchanges in the world have already dedicated a day for such events during the month of March to mark their support for the cause of greater gender inclusiveness in the listed sector. The tradition of holding of opening bell ringing ceremonies at the global stock exchanges by women activists started about three years ago to coincide with the International Women’s Day, and to highlight the business case for enhanced economic opportunities for women. With the holding of the opening bell ceremony for the WOB advocates, the PSX joined the rank of global stock exchanges showing solidarity with the cause of gender mainstreaming in Pakistan’s corporate sector. Addressing the ceremony, PSX MD/CEO Nadeem Naqvi said that women’s influence on the lives of every child makes it clear that women have a lasting impact in the emergence of leaders.
He supported the agenda of women mainstreaming and said that the ceremony was to recognise the progress made by our women corporate professionals in Pakistan.
The chief guest of the occasion, Rahat Kaunain Hassan, said the WOB aimed at affording the corporate world the opportunity to benefit from the experience of those who had demonstrated the resolve and commitment to progress against odds. “The WOB agenda is the empowerment of the corporate sector in national economy, not women alone.”
She highlighted that the WOB’s objective was to have at least 25 percent gender parity on corporate boards and senior management of listed companies in Pakistan by 2025.
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