IN 2020 80 STOCK 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 Security 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 United States, 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 Stock Exchange Date of Event Argentina Bolsas y Mercados Argentinos (BYMA) 12 Australia Australian Securities Exchange 9 Australia Chi-X 9 Austria Vienna Stock Exchange 9 Bahrain Bahrain Bourse 8 Bangladesh Dhaka Stock Exchange 9 Belarus Belarusian Currency and Stock Exchange tbc Belgium Euronext Brussels 6 Bolivia Bolsa Boliviana de Valores 17 Botswana Botswana Stock Exchange 6 Brazil B3 (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 Zagreb Stock Exchange 6 Democratic Republic of Congo Democratic Republic of Congo 8 Denmark Nasdaq Copenhagen 9 Ecuador Quito Stock Exchange 10 Egypt The Egyptian Exchange 9 El Salvador Bolsa de Valores de El Salvador 6 Estonia Nasdaq Tallinn 6 Ethiopia Ethiopia Stock Exchange 9 France Euronext Paris 6 Georgia Georgian Stock Exchange 16 Germany Deutsche Börse 9 Greece Athens Stock Exchange 9 India BSE 13 India NSE 11 Indonesia Indonesia Stock Exchange Video message Iraq Iraq Stock Exchange TBC Ireland Euronext Dublin 6 Istanbul Borsa Istanbul 6 Jamaica Jamaica Stock Exchange 10 Jordan Amman Stock Exchange 10 Kazakhstan Kazakhstan Stock Exchange 5 Kenya Nairobi Securities Exchange 9 Latvia Nasdaq Riga 6 Lebanon Beirut Stock Exchange 10 Lithuania Nasdaq Vilnius 6 Luxembourg Luxembourg Stock Exchange 9 Malaysia Bursa Malaysia 6 Mexico Bolsa Mexicana de Valores 5 Mongolia Mongolian Stock Exchange TBC Namibia Namibia Stock Exchange 27 Nepal Nepal Stock Exchange Limited 18 Netherlands Euronext Amsterdam 6 New Zealand New Zealand Stock Exchange 11 Nigeria Nigerian Stock Exchange 6 Norway Oslo Bors 6 Pakistan Pakistan Stock Exchange 10 Palestine Palestine Exchange 10 Panama Bolsa de Panama 6 Peru Bolsa de Valores de Lima 10 Philippines Philippine Stock Exchange 18 Poland Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE) 6 Portugal Euronext Lisbon 6 Qatar Qatar Stock Exchange 10 Romania Bucharest Stock Exchange 6 Russia MOEX Moscow 5 Rwanda Rwanda Stock Exchange 10 Saudi Arabia Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul) 8 Serbia Belgrade Stock Exchange 12 Slovenia Ljubljana Stock Exchange 9 South Africa Johannesburg Stock Exchange 9 Spain Bolsas y Mercados Españoles (BME) 4 Sri Lanka Colombo Stock Exchange 6 Tanzania Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange PLC 10 Tunisia Tunis Stock Exchange 14 Uganda Uganda Securities Exchange 12 Ukraine Ukrainian Exchange TBC 11/12 United Arab Emirates Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) 8 United Arab Emirates Dubai Financial Market (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 Armenia Securities Exchange (AMX) * Canada Toronto Stock Exchange * China Shanghai Stock Exchange * China Shenzhen Stock Exchange * Finland Nasdaq Helsinki * Special Administrative Region Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing * Iceland Nasdaq Iceland * Israel Tel Aviv Stock Exchange * Italy Borsa Italiana * Japan Tokyo Stock Exchange * Korea Korea Stock Exchange (KRX) * Kuwait Boursa Kuwait * Myanmar Yangon Stock Exchange * Singapore Singapore Exchange * Sweden Nasdaq Stockholm * Switzerland SIX Swiss Exchange * Thailand Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) * UK London Stock Exchange * 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 long-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 investors, 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 Finance 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 investor, 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