IN 2020 80 EXCHANGES GLOBALLY RING THE BELL FOR GENDER EQUALITY WITH WOMEN IN ETFS AND FIVE PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS

March 11, 2020, London – For the sixth consecutive year, a global collaboration across 80 exchanges (the total would be 100 this year but 20 events have been postponed or cancelled due to the Corona Virus as of March 11, 2020) around the world plan to ring opening or closing bells to celebrate International Women’s Day 2020 (Sunday 8 March 2020). The events - which start on Monday 2 March, and will last for two weeks - are a partnership between IFC, Sustainable Stock Exchanges (SSE) Initiative, UN Global Compact, UN Women, the World Federation of Exchanges and Women in ETFs, to raise awareness about the business case for women’s economic empowerment, and the opportunities for the private sector to advance gender equality and sustainable development.

This year, the UN Women’s theme for International Women’s Day is ‘I am Generation Equality: Realising Women’s Rights’. The theme marks the milestones that have been achieved such as the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, adopted in 1995, to advance the empowerment of women and girls worldwide. In addition, 2020 also marks a five-year milestone towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals; the 20th anniversary of UN Council resolution 1325 on women, peace and security; and the 10th anniversary of UN Women’s establishment.

Leadership of Women in ETFs notes: “The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day - I am Generation Equality - celebrates the progress that has been made all around the world in advancing gender equality. The annual Bell Ringing events are the most global initiative that WE does each year offering a unique opportunity to welcome WE leadership teams, members and corporate sponsors to hear speakers presenting the business case for diversity and women’s economic empowerment. Members of Women in ETFs will be involved in bell ringing events at exchanges in the , Canada, EMEA and in Asia Pacific. There is further to go before we achieve gender equality, but today marks the start of a month of important awareness and work to continue to build towards that important goal.”

Women in ETFs is the first women’s group for the ETF industry. Founded in January 2014, WE is an organization that brings together over 5,600 members, including women and men, in chapters in major financial centers across the United States, Canada, EMEA and Asia Pacific to: 1) CONNECT: Create opportunities for professional advancement of women by expanding connections among women and men in the ETF industry; 2) SUPPORT: Offer guidance for the current and next generation of women in ETFs and 3) INSPIRE: WE achieves this by organizing events at our chapters globally that support our goals of education, networking, philanthropy and idea sharing across the industry and beyond. All women and men are invited to join Women in ETFs - click here. For more information, visit: www.womeninetfs.com Follow us Twitter: @WomeninETFs and on Linkedin: Women in ETFs

Contact: Deborah Fuhr, a Founder and Board Member, Women in ETFs Tel: +44-777-5823-111, [email protected]

Country Date of Event Argentina Bolsas y Mercados Argentinos (BYMA) 12 Australia Australian Securities Exchange 9 Australia Chi-X 9 Austria Vienna Stock Exchange 9 8 Bangladesh 9 Belarus Belarusian Currency and Stock Exchange tbc Belgium Brussels 6 Bolivia Bolsa Boliviana de Valores 17 Botswana Botswana Stock Exchange 6 Brazil (Brasil Bolsa Balcao) 9 Canada Aequitas NEO Exchange 9 Chile Bolsa de Comercio de Santiago 26 Colombia Bolsa de Valores de Colombia (BVC) 9 Costa Rica Bolsa Nacional de Valores 11 Bourse Régionale des Valeurs Mobilières Côte d'Ivoire 6 (BRVM) Croatia 6 Democratic Republic of Congo Democratic Republic of Congo 8 9 Ecuador Quito Stock Exchange 10 Egypt The 9 El Salvador Bolsa de Valores de El Salvador 6 6 Ethiopia Ethiopia Stock Exchange 9 6 Georgia Georgian Stock Exchange 16 Germany Deutsche Börse 9 Greece Athens Stock Exchange 9 India BSE 13 India NSE 11 Indonesia Video message Iraq Iraq Stock Exchange TBC Ireland Euronext 6 Istanbul 6 10 Jordan 10 Kazakhstan Kazakhstan Stock Exchange 5 Kenya Nairobi Securities Exchange 9 Nasdaq 6

Lebanon Stock Exchange 10 Nasdaq 6 Luxembourg Luxembourg Stock Exchange 9 Malaysia 6 Mexico Bolsa Mexicana de Valores 5 Mongolia Mongolian Stock Exchange TBC Namibia Namibia Stock Exchange 27 Nepal Limited 18 Netherlands 6 New Zealand New Zealand Stock Exchange 11 Nigeria Nigerian Stock Exchange 6 Norway Oslo Bors 6 Pakistan 10 Palestine 10 Panama Bolsa de Panama 6 Peru Bolsa de Valores de Lima 10 Philippines Philippine Stock Exchange 18 Stock Exchange (WSE) 6 Portugal 6 Qatar Qatar Stock Exchange 10 Stock Exchange 6 Russia MOEX Moscow 5 Rwanda Rwanda Stock Exchange 10 Saudi Arabia Saudi Stock Exchange () 8 Stock Exchange 12 Slovenia 9 South Africa Johannesburg Stock Exchange 9 Spain Bolsas y Mercados Españoles (BME) 4 Sri Lanka 6 Tanzania Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange PLC 10 Tunisia Tunis Stock Exchange 14 Uganda Uganda Securities Exchange 12 TBC 11/12 Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) 8 United Arab Emirates (DFM) 9 Uruguay Bolsa de Valores de Montevideo 12 US Nasdaq 2 US NYSE 5 Vietnam Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange Video message Yemen Yemeni Institute of Directors 25 Zambia Lusaka Securities Exchange Plc. (LuSE) 17 Armenia Securities Exchange (AMX) * Canada *

China * China * * Special Administrative Region Hong Kong Exchanges and * * Stock Exchange * Italy Borsa Italiana * Japan * Korea Korea Stock Exchange (KRX) * * Myanmar Yangon Stock Exchange * Singapore * Nasdaq * SIX Swiss Exchange * Thailand Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) * UK * US IEX * US CBOE *

*The 2020 International Women’s Day Bell ringing event was cancelled due to the Corona Virus.

About the Partner Organisations: Women in ETFs (WE) Women in ETFs is the first women’s group for the ETF industry. Founded in January 2014, WE is an organization that brings together over 5,600 members, including women and men, in chapters in major financial centers across the United States, Canada, EMEA and Asia Pacific to: 1) CONNECT: Create opportunities for professional advancement of women by expanding connections among women and men in the ETF industry; 2) SUPPORT: Offer guidance for the current and next generation of women in ETFs and 3) INSPIRE: WE achieves this by organizing events at our chapters globally that support our goals of education, networking, philanthropy and idea sharing across the industry and beyond. For more information, visit: www.womeninetfs.com to learn more, join, or sponsor. Follow us on Twitter: @WomeninETFs and on Linkedin: Women in ETFs

IFC IFC—a sister organization of the World Bank and member of the World Bank Group—is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. We work with more than 2,000 businesses worldwide, using our capital, expertise, and influence to create markets and opportunities where they are needed most. In fiscal year 2019, we delivered more than $19 billion in -term financing for developing countries, leveraging the power of the private sector to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity. For more information, visit www.ifc.org. Follow us on Twitter: @IFC_org

The Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative The SSE initiative is a peer-to-peer learning platform for exploring how exchanges, in collaboration with , regulators, and companies, can enhance corporate transparency - and ultimately performance - on ESG (environmental, social and corporate governance) issues and encourage sustainable investment. The SSE initiative is convened by four organizations - the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the UN Global Compact, the UN Environment Program Initiative (UNEP FI), and the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI). To learn more about becoming

a Partner Stock Exchange or participating as a regulator or , visit sseinitiative.org Follow us on Twitter: @sseinitiative

United Nations Global Compact As a special initiative of the UN Secretary-General, the United Nations Global Compact is a call to companies everywhere to align their operations and strategies with ten universal principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption. Launched in 2000, the mandate of the UN Global Compact is to guide and support the global business community in advancing UN goals and values through responsible corporate practices. With more than 9,500 companies and 3,000 non-business signatories based in over 160 countries, and more than 70 Local Networks, it is the largest corporate sustainability initiative in the world. For more information, follow @globalcompact on social media and visit our website at www.unglobalcompact.org.

United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) UN Women is the UN organization dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. A global champion for women and girls, UN Women was established to accelerate progress on meeting their needs worldwide. UN Women supports UN Member States as they set global standards for achieving gender equality, and works with governments and civil society to design laws, policies, programmes and services needed to ensure that the standards are effectively implemented and truly benefit women and girls worldwide. It works globally to make the vision of the Sustainable Development Goals a reality for women and girls and stands behind women’s equal participation in all aspects of life, focusing on four strategic priorities: Women lead, participate in and benefit equally from governance systems; Women have income security, decent work and economic autonomy; All women and girls live a life free from all forms of violence; Women and girls contribute to and have greater influence in building sustainable peace and resilience, and benefit equally from the prevention of natural disasters and conflicts and humanitarian action. UN Women also coordinates and promotes the UN system’s work in advancing gender equality. Learn more at: http://www.unwomen.org and https://www.empowerwomen.org/en/weps/about. Follow us on Twitter @UN_Women @Empower_Women and on LinkedIn: UN Women

The World Federation of Exchanges (WFE): Established in 1961, the WFE is the global industry association for exchanges and clearing houses. Headquartered in London, it represents over 250 market infrastructure providers, including standalone CCPs that are not part of exchange groups. Of our members, 37% are in Asia-Pacific, 43% in EMEA and 20% in the Americas. WFE’s 57 member CCPs collectively ensure that risk takers post some $800bn (equivalent) of resources to back their positions, in the form of initial and default fund requirements. WFE exchanges, meanwhile, are home to nearly 48,000 listed companies, and the market capitalisation of these entities is over $74.4 trillion (at end 2018); around $95 trillion (EOB) in trading annually passes through the infrastructures WFE members safeguard (at end 2018). The WFE is the definitive source for exchange- traded statistics, and publishes over 350 indicators. Its free statistics database stretches back more than 40 years, and provides information and insight into developments on global exchanges. The WFE works with standard-setters, policy makers, regulators and government organisations around the world to support and promote the development of fair, transparent, stable and efficient markets. The WFE shares regulatory authorities’ goals of ensuring the safety and soundness of the global financial system. With extensive experience of developing and enforcing high standards of conduct, the WFE and its members support an orderly, secure, fair and transparent environment for investors; for companies that raise capital; and for all who deal with financial risk. We seek outcomes that maximise the common good, consumer confidence and economic growth. And we engage with policy makers and regulators in an open, collaborative way, reflecting the central, public role that exchanges and CCPs play in a globally integrated financial system. Follow us on Twitter @TheWFE and LinkedIn: The World Federation of Exchanges

Women in ETFs Corporate Sponsors

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