Kuwait Times, Sunday, Mar 12, 2023 | Sha'ban 20, 1444
Boursa Kuwait rings bell for gender equality for 6th consecutive year with Kuwait Clearing Company
Kuwait:
Boursa Kuwait rang the bell for the sixth consecutive year on International
Women’s Day in commemoration of gender equality and women’s empowerment and with
the participation of the Kuwait Clearing Company (KCC), recognizing the
significant role women play in the development of the Kuwaiti capital market and
the private sector. The event brought together female staff members from both
companies to highlight the power of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) as
well as celebrating the contribution of women in capital markets and the wider
community.
Held annually on March 8, the global “Ring the Bell for Gender Equality”
initiative is supported by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the
Sustainable Stock Exchanges (SSE) initiative, the United Nations Global Compact
(UNGC), the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of
Women (UN Women), and the World Federation of Exchanges (WFE).
The “Ring the Bell for Gender Equality” event underscores both Boursa Kuwait’s
and KCC’s commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment and their
efforts to create an inclusive workplace. Both companies recognize the
importance of diversity and its contribution to a more sustainable future for
the financial industry in Kuwait. Both companies are keen on promoting equality
among their employees and preventing gender discrimination, particularly in
training and development programs in order to ensure equal opportunities for
leadership positions based on competence, decision-making abilities, and
leadership skills. These principles have been engrained into the companies’
strategies and have been instrumental in their success.
Mrs. Anwar Abdulaziz AlShedoukhi, Talent Management Director of Boursa Kuwait,
said, “Initiatives such as ‘Gender Equality’ will be a key factor in promoting
diversity, knowledge transfer, and creating a more equitable society. We are
encouraged and supported by our management and the board to develop and take up
senior positions based on our contribution, not our gender.”
Women in both companies have made significant contributions to the industry,
bringing unique skills and perspectives that lead to innovation, change, and
more efficient solutions. Their impact has helped meet global market
classification standards, elevating Kuwait’s position to emerging market status
by world-leading index providers MSCI, FTSE Russel, and S&P DJI.
Mrs. Rasha Abdulrahman AlSaeidan, Senior Director of Finance and Head of the
Investor Relations Unit at the Kuwait Clearing Company, said, “The women of the
Kuwait Clearing Company (KCC) are vital contributors to a variety of projects
and initiatives that have led to the development of a vibrant, transparent and
innovative capital market that is able to attract investments locally and
abroad, and helped transform Kuwait into a leading financial capital in the
region.”
Boursa Kuwait and KCC believe that the financial industry in Kuwait is rich with
stories of empowered women in leadership positions making their mark, and are
committed to the continuation of promoting equality, diversity, and women’s
empowerment in the workplace.
Boursa Kuwait is a champion of women’s empowerment and is a true pioneer in the
inclusion of women in the workforce. The company has been involved in several
initiatives dedicated to empowerment and inclusion, which began when the company
first rang the bell for women in 2018. Boursa Kuwait also signed the Women’s
Empowerment Principles (WEPs) ‘Statement of Support in 2019 and made a formal
commitment to drive Corporate Sustainability in financial markets by becoming a
member of the United Nations-led Sustainable Stock Exchanges (SSE) initiative, a
platform for the exchange of experience and knowledge that helps broaden the
collaborations between exchanges and all market participants, in 2017.