On 8 March 2016, SIX Swiss Exchange acted as a host for the bell ringing of Women in ETFs
. The event took place as part of bell ringing ceremonies at over 30 exchanges globally. More than 40 participants gathered to join Women in ETFs to celebrate the International Women's Day and attest that women's and economic empowerment is a key driver of sustainable development.
This year, Women in ETFs is partnering with UN Global Compact, Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative, UN Women, IFC and The World Federation of Exchanges to host events across the globe to raise awareness about the importance of gender equality to sustainable development and business. Women in ETFs was founded in January 2014. Today, the organization counts already over 1'000 members globally organized in different local chapters. Its objective is to build a global network of women in the ETF industry with the goal to further the careers of women today by leveraging their collective skills and ambitions.
The event at the ConventionPoint in the building of the Swiss stock exchange featured a presentation by Carole Hofmann (President, Young Female Entrepreneurs & Executives Association) on WomenWay, the first Swiss mentoring platform for women in leadership positions. It grants women access to firsthand know-how tailored to their specific needs as well as current position and allows mentees to expand their own competences, gain access to a new network and find new career opportunities.
This presentation was followed by a panel discussion on three academic studies on gender diversity with Julia Dawson (Managing Director, Thematic & ESG Research, Credit Suisse), Angelika Reich (Associate Principal, McKinsey & Company Zurich), Véronique Menou (Head of ESG Thematic Research, MSCI) as well as Carole Hofmann.
The discussion pointed out that gender diversity enhances the financials of companies and that it has increased in almost every country and economic sector within last 5 years but that it also varies considerably from sector to sector and country to country. All stakeholders including government and the private sector have a critical role to play in achieving gender equality. Diversity does not simply happen - it is best achieved through dedicated programs that focus on specific goals. A clear value proposition needs to be formulated with targets and how to achieve these.
State of the Art - our selection of Exchange Traded Funds
Just recently, Nomura became the 21st ETF issuer on SIX Swiss Exchange, further increasing the range of products to a record number of 1'183. This impressive selection of ETFs provides investors with even more options to find the right product for their investment strategy. In February 2015, the ETF offering on SIX Swiss Exchange reached the milestone of1'000 ETFs, and in September, the 15th anniversary was celebrated.
Up-to-date information on market data and the numerous advantages of ETFs are available on the SIX Swiss Exchange website.
