This year’s theme of the “Ring the Bell for Gender Equality” initiative was “Ring the Bell for ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment”. On this occasion, the bell was rung by the non-executive members of the Exchange’s Board of Directors, Ivana Gazic from the Zagreb Stock Exchange and Nina Nedanoska from Sparkasse Bank AD Skopje, together with Ivan Shteriev, Chief Executive Officer of the Macedonian Stock Exchange. The act of ringing the bell symbolizes the Macedonian Stock Exchange’s commitment to promoting the principles of gender equality and inclusion of women across all spheres of society. A video of the event will be published additionally.
On this occasion, the Chief Executive Officer of the Exchange, Ivan Shteriev, stated: "This global initiative has been ongoing for a decade. The idea is for stock exchanges, through their unique role in the financial system and public influence, to contribute to advancing gender equality in the business world by promoting the importance of this issue to the largest joint stock companies and establishing standards for responsible and transparent corporate practices in this regard. The Macedonian Stock Exchange shares this vision, which is why we are participating in the ‘Ring the Bell for Gender Equality’ initiative for the fifth time."
"Gender equality is a very important issue, not only in business but in all other spheres of social and political life. Women make up slightly more than half of the total population, yet they are significantly underrepresented in business and politics, have lower employment rates, earn less, and are often victims of discrimination and even violence, including in the workplace. Such a situation in modern society is simply unacceptable. Especially considering that, for example, in Croatia, 61% of university graduates are women, while 61% of the companies listed on the Zagreb Stock Exchange do not have a single woman on their management board." – stated Ivana Gazic, President of the Management Board of the Zagreb Stock Exchange.
"Gender equality is not just a moral obligation, but also a key factor for long-term economic growth and stability. Women in leadership positions not only bring new perspectives and innovations but also create work environments that value inclusiveness and empathy, which fosters productivity and a positive culture. As leaders, we must focus on creating equal opportunities for all, regardless of gender, and actively work to break down stereotypes and policies that limit their advancement. Only through inclusiveness and support for all professionals can we build strong teams and a successful society, and in this transformation, both men and women play equally important roles." – stated Ms. Nina Nedanoska, Deputy Chairwoman of the Management Board of Sparkasse Bank AD Skopje.
This is the eleventh “Ring the Bell for Gender Equality” campaign, supported by 123 stock exchanges worldwide, organized as a partnership between the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the World Federation of Exchanges (WFE), the Sustainable Stock Exchanges (SSE) Initiative – of which the Macedonian Stock Exchange is a member, the United Nations Global Compact, UN Women, and Women in ETFs. The main goal is to promote gender equality in capital markets.
As part of the efforts to strengthen public awareness of the importance of achieving greater gender equality, the Macedonian Stock Exchange once again published an updated analysis of the structure of management bodies in listed joint stock companies, which is available at the following link:
https://mse.mk/mk/news/13/3/2025/gender-analysis-of-the-management-bodies-of-joint-stock-companies-listed-on-the-macedonian-stock-exchange-for-2024