Mumbai, March 13 -- The National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) on Friday hosted the 'Ring the Bell for Gender Equality 2026' ceremony at its Mumbai headquarters, bringing together leaders from financial markets, policymakers, global institutions and industry to highlight the role of capital markets in promoting gender equality and inclusive growth.
The event was part of the global 'Ring the Bell for Gender Equality' initiative led by UN Women, International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative, the World Federation of Exchanges and the UN Global Compact.
The initiative encourages companies to adopt the Women's Empowerment Principles (WEPs) and strengthen gender equality across workplaces.
In his opening remarks, Ashishkumar Chauhan, MD and CEO of NSE, stressed the need for stronger representation of women in corporate leadership and financial markets. He noted that women now account for nearly 25 per cent of NSE's registered investor base, with about 2.5 crore women joining capital markets over the past decade. He added that women investors are increasingly demonstrating disciplined and long-term wealth creation approaches.
Suhela Khan, Country Programme Manager for Women's Economic Empowerment and Officer-in-Charge at UN Women India Country Office, said the bell-ringing ceremony and adoption of WEPs reflect growing commitment from businesses and financial institutions to advance gender equality through inclusive leadership and governance practices.
Representatives from IFC and the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs also addressed the gathering, sharing insights on promoting gender diversity in corporate leadership and expanding opportunities for women in the financial ecosystem.
The programme concluded with the symbolic ringing of the closing bell and a renewed commitment by participating organisations to promote gender-inclusive workplaces and equal opportunities across corporate India.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.