Today marked the annual Ring the Bell for Gender Equality event, where women united at the JSE for a morning of inspiring talks and to ring little bells.
Johannesburg, South Africa (07 March 2025) – This morning, the foyer of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) was filled with women and male allies from all the major financial corners to unite and celebrate the journey to gender equality in South Africa. We got to spend the morning meeting and greeting all the inspiring women and joined to ring the bell.
The JSE joins stock exchanges from around the world in the annual Ring the Bell for Gender Equality campaign, reaffirming its commitment to fostering an inclusive and equitable economy. This year marked the 11th ringing of the bell.
This global symbolic bell-ringing ceremony, spearheaded by the World Federation of Exchanges (WFE) in collaboration with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Sustainable Stock Exchanges (SSE) Initiative, UN Global Compact, and UN Women, underscores the critical role of financial markets in advancing gender equality.
South Africa is making slow but steady progress towards placing more women in leadership roles across the boards of industry. The JSE continues to lead by example, with women making up 55% of its Board and 78% of its Executive Committee.
The bourse’s listing requirements mandate all listed companies to institute a policy for promoting gender diversity at the board level and to report their performance against it. So when you see a listed company on the local stock exchange, you know they are there because they, too, are committed to gender equality in South Africa!
“At the JSE, we believe that true empowerment stems from equal access—to education, investment opportunities, leadership positions, and financial resources,” said Vuyo Lee, Director of Marketing and Corporate Affairs at the JSE.
“This year’s theme challenges us to remove systemic barriers and amplify the voices of women and girls, ensuring that gender equality becomes embedded in the financial landscape and broader society.”
“The path to gender equality requires collective effort,” continued Lee. “The private sector has a crucial role to play in transforming entrenched inequities, and at the JSE, we are committed to fostering a financial ecosystem where women and girls thrive — not as an afterthought, but as a core pillar of sustainable economic growth.”
Financial literacy and investment participation is one of the initiatives the JSE invests in, through the #SheInvests campaign. This equips women with the knowledge to build lasting wealth and economic independence.
Phuthi Mahanyele-Dabengwa a Board Member of UN Global Compact and CEO of Naspers South Africa, gave an empowering speech to the room in the lead-up to the bell-ring at 9 am. She highlighted that the United Nation’s 5th Sustainable Development Goal of achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls is still yet to be reached in every country by 2030.
She further added that, “according to the UN Women, closing the gender gap could give the global economy a $7-trillion-dollar boost”. She concluded her address by underscoring that events such as the annual Ring the Bell for Gender Equality are important to ensure that every woman and girl is empowered with the tools and knowledge to ensure access to equal opportunities to advance in their careers and lives.
As the clock struck 9 am, with each woman armed with a little silver bell, the room erupted into chiming and cheers. It was an incredible experience to be a part of it.
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