PSX celebrates Women’s Day

Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) celebrated International Women’s Day with an elaborate gong ceremony at the Exchange, in collaboration with UN Women, International Finance Corporation (IFC), Pakistan Institute of Corporate Governance (PICG), and Women on Board (WOB). The celebration of International Women’s Day 2023 was convened under the auspices of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Sustainable Stock Exchanges (SSE) Initiative, UN Women, and the World Federation of Exchanges (WFE). The theme for this year’s event was ‘DigitALL-Innovation & Technology for Gender Equality’.

Distinguished women leaders and professionals from the tech sector, as well as eminent women entrepreneurs, innovators, and women corporate leaders, participated in the celebration. This year’s celebrations included ringing the bell, panel discussions, and speeches by distinguished women leaders in the tech, corporate & entrepreneurial sectors and by men advocating gender equality & inclusivity. PSX joined more than 110 exchanges all over the world to mark this an important day this year.

In her welcome address, the Chairperson of PSX, Dr. Shamshad Akhtar, stated, “This year the International Women’s Day theme of Digital – Innovation & Technology for Gender Equality’ is pertinent and timely. Post-pandemic, developing countries were reviving and adjusting their course of development drawing lessons from the pandemic. Subsequent unfolding political developments, macroeconomic instability, devastating floods, and the demand & supply disruption together have hit the country with unprecedented high inflation. Not only has there been a reversal in progress in poverty reduction, but growing layoffs due to industrial and agriculture disruption have impacted our fellow women disproportionately.

In such a scenario, Pakistan faces a gender emergency. It calls for recognizing the urgency of enhancing women’s empowerment and inclusion. International evidence confirms that women empowerment and inclusion is critical and that the power of digitization, STEM, and financial services is critical in uplifting women.”