To celebrate
International Women’s Day 2024 and its theme “Invest in
Women: Accelerate Progress,” the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET), the
Securities and Exchange Commission of Thailand (SEC), and UN Women once again
hosted the “Ring the Bell for Gender Equality” initiative
at the Stock Exchange of Thailand on 11 March 2024.
The main objective of
the ‘bell ringing’ is to bring attention to the pivotal role the private sector
can play in advancing gender equality to achieve the Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs), especially the role to foster a supportive environment within the
capital market ecosystems.
“As a member of the
World Federation of Exchanges (WFE), SET is delighted to participate in the 10th
Ring the Bell for Gender Equality initiative in collaboration with partners in
Thailand. SET actively promotes the role of women in business. We collaborated
with CG evaluation organizations, and created our own SET ESG Ratings, which
provided recommendations and indicators for listed companies to emphasize
gender equality issues. For example, increasing
the number of female directors on the board of directors will enhance both
women’s rights and equality, as well as the board’s efficiency. In addition,
SET is committed to promotingthe “diversity, equity, and inclusion” philosophy, which encourages everyone to
be treated equally, and drives every sector toward sustainable growth. As SET
enters its 50th year of capital market development, we promise to
drive long-term growth across all sectors by promoting the value of equality, in accordance with SET’s mission: To Make the Capital
Market ‘Work’ for Everyone.” remarked Pataravasee Suvarnsorn, SET Senior Executive Vice
President, Head of Operation Management Division, and Managing Director of
Thailand Clearing House Co., Ltd.
Dr. Pornanong Budsaratragoon,
Secretary-General, SEC, Thailand said that “the SEC is truly honored to
co-host the ‘Ring the Bell for Gender Equality 2024’ initiative that celebrates the International Women’s Day and resonates the importance of gender equality.
As a capital market regulator, one of our strategic priorities is to build an
environment conducive to supporting listed companies in their integration of
environmental, social and governance considerations into business practices.
The social aspect, in particular, includes respect for human rights and gender
equality. This strategic direction is in line with the 20-Year National
Strategy and the fourth Capital Market Development Plan and contributes to the
achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, especially SDG 5 Gender
Equality.”
After the bell
ringing, representatives from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), UN
Global Compact, and private sector had an opportunity to exchange their
insights during the “Investing in Women Exchanges” session under the theme “Investing in Women:
A Human Rights Imperative” to shed light on how strategic investments in women
can drive transformative change and propel us towards a more equitable future.
Lastly, the roundtable
discussion “Shifting to a Green Economy and Care Society – Alternative Business
Model” was held among speakers from different roles and actor organizations to
exchange their perspectives on alternative business model and its implications on
the 2030 future green and care economy.
“We had a stimulating
conversation about the Green Economy and Care Society during the Roundtable
Discussion. These alternative economic models offer a new approach towards a more inclusive, caring, and sustainable world. We must champion these
business models, many of which are women-owned and women-led, ensuring that
they have fair access to markets, financing, and opportunities within supply
chains. In this regard, UN Women, under the WE RISE Together programme supported by the Australian Government through
the Mekong-Australia Partnership, has already taken a step to promote access to
market capability and women’s participation in the procurement system,” said
Sarah Knibbs, Deputy Regional Director of UN Women Regional Office for Asia and
the Pacific.
As 2024 marks the 10th
year of the “Ring the Bell” campaign around the world, by ringing the bell on International Women’s Day, SET, SEC, and UN Women urge all
stakeholders in the Thai capital market and beyond to invest in women, accelerate progress
towards gender equality, and create a more just and sustainable future for all.
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For more information
on the “Ring the Bell for Gender Equality 2024” campaign in Thailand, watch the
full recording of the event at https://www.facebook.com/set.or.th/videos/1071609313895106
About the Stock
Exchange of Thailand
The Stock Exchange of
Thailand is one of the mechanisms to drive the economy. It is a fundraising channel for entrepreneurs who seek access to funding sources, and
it is a channel to save money and generate returns from the investment of
people with a wide range of products and services. SET drives the capital market under the vision “To
Make the Capital Market ‘Work’ for Everyone” by strengthening economic growth,
increasing investment opportunities and potential growth of the Thai capital
and supporting sustainable development while taking into account the
environment, society and good governance (ESG).
About the Securities
and Exchange Commission, Thailand
The Securities and
Exchange Commission, Thailand (SEC) is a public agency established under the
Securities and Exchange Act of 1992. The SEC is entrusted to supervise and
develop the Thai capital market with the mission to assure a conducive environment for
a fair, trustworthy, efficient, dynamic, and inclusive capital market. The SEC
collaborates with relevant domestic and international organizations to create
an enabling ecosystem for a sustainable capital market. This includes
supporting listed companies’ integration of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors into business operations and the overall
value chain.
About UN Women
UN Women is the United
Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. A global champion for women and girls, UN Women was established to
accelerate progress in meeting their needs worldwide. Learn more at
asiapacific.unwomen.org or follow us on social media platforms via @unwomenasia
About WE RISE Together
WE RISE Together is supported
by the Australian Government through the Mekong-Australia Partnership and
implemented by UN Women. WE RISE Together aims to create equal opportunities
for women by advancing Supplier Diversity through Gender-Responsive Procurement
in Thailand and Viet Nam.