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London, March 8, 2016
—IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, today joined 34 stock exchanges in a global initiative to “Ring the Bell for Gender Equality”—a partnership that highlights how the private sector can spur global growth by helping ensure that women participate in economic activity at the same rate as men.
Stock exchanges from Nairobi to Amman, Dhaka, Fiji, New York and London participated, ringing opening or closing bells to mark International Women’s Day. Events have taken place since March 3 and will continue during the week to come, with IFC ringing the opening and closing bell on March 8 on its Washington, D.C., and London trading floors.
“Empowering women is not only the right thing to do—it is also the smart thing to do,” said IFC Deputy Treasurer Georgina Baker during the event hosted on IFC’s London trading floor. “With a full-fledged treasury team based in London, we are keen to deliver innovative financial solutions that demonstrate the business case for gender equality and help unleash the full economic potential of women and girls in Europe, Middle East and North Africa."
IFC has established a robust Banking on Women program to lend to women-owned small and medium-sized enterprises through financial institutions in emerging markets. By end of February 2016, IFC has invested over $1 billion in women entrepreneurs through this program.
IFC believes that women—as consumers, employees, business leaders, and entrepreneurs—have the potential to transform the global economy, supporting job creation, raising per-capita incomes, and promoting sustainable development. That’s why we work to promote gender inclusion in all of our activities. By leveraging our relationships with about 1,000 financial institutions and private equity funds, we help expand access to finance for women entrepreneurs. In 2014, IFC clients provided 670,000 jobs to women in emerging economies.
About IFC
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. Working with more than 2,000 businesses worldwide, we use our capital, expertise, and influence, to create opportunity where it’s needed most. In FY15, our long-term investments in developing countries rose to nearly $18 billion, helping the private sector play an essential role in the global effort to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity. For more information, visit
www.ifc.org
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