In this joint report, the Sustainable Stock Exchanges (SSE) initiative and IFC identify three broad areas where stock exchanges can play a role in advancing gender equality, namely the promotion of gender-focused and/or gender-aware products and services, strengthening of market performance on gender equality, and leading by example. These cover both exchange and market-focused opportunities and are aligned with existing exchange initiatives and operations. This guidance was developed in strategic collaboration with UN Women and benefited from the inputs of 71 experts across 34 countries. The guidance is an updated and expanded version of the guidance the SSE originally published in 2017. Going forward, the SSE plans to build on this guidance with training programs for exchanges and their issuers, will also expand its database on gender equality to serve as a benchmark to measure progress, develop guidance on data disclosure, among other planned activities. The SSE will continue to implement all this work on gender equality in partnership with IFC and stock exchanges around the world.
