By Roseleen Nzioka
Nairobi, Kenya: March 8th is traditionally marked globally as International Women’s Day with many activities geared towards fostering gender equality.
Among the annual activities is the widely celebrated World Federation of Exchanges (WFE) “Ring the Bell for Gender Equality” event.
Locally the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) hosted the bell ringing ceremony in person at the opening bell on March 8.
The UN Women’s theme for this year is “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow” and recognizes the contributions of women and girls around the world in climate change interventions for a sustainable future.
UN Women says “the events bring together businesses working for gender equality and promote the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) as a means towards increased women’s participation in the economy and its importance for inclusive growth.
“The WEPs are a set of seven principles offering practical guidance to businesses on how to empower women in the workplace, marketplace, and community.”
The NSE in partnership with Global Compact Network Kenya, UN Women Kenya, and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) Africa joined 122 stock exchanges across the globe to ring the 8th annual Bell for women’s rights and gender equality.
Speaking during the event, NSE CEO Mr. Geoffrey Odundo said that stock exchanges have an important role as educators and are uniquely positioned to influence the market to advance climate resilience.
Odundo noted that climate change poses both risks and opportunities to financial markets thus the need to prepare for the inherent changes.
Environment Cabinet Secretary Mr. Keriako Tobiko, who graced the occasion, said that women deserve to be given a level playing ground and be empowered to own the means of production and not just be viewed as providers of labor.
In a related press release, UN Women said that when climate change induces disasters, women and girls are the most affected. This is due to a lack of information, mobility, decision-making, and access to resources and training as well as gender-based cultural norms and barriers.
UN Women said “women and girls play a central role in addressing, mitigating and solving the climate crisis. Women possess unique knowledge and experience, particularly at the local level, in areas such as agriculture, conservation and the management of natural resources.”
“Women are more likely to consider their families and communities in decision-making processes, allowing for more holistic and effective climate action. Their inclusion in decision-making processes, as well as including the gender lens into climate and environmental policies is critical to effective climate action.”
