DSE marks Int'l Women’s Day with call for greater female leadership in finance

The Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) marked International Women’s Day with a special programme titled “Ring the Bell for Gender Equality” on Wednesday, highlighting the importance of women’s participation in leadership and decision-making across the financial sector.

The event was jointly organised by the DSE along with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative, the World Federation of Exchanges, the UN Global Compact and UN Women, with support from the Embassy of Denmark in Bangladesh.

Shama Obaed Islam, state minister for foreign affairs, attended the programme as the chief guest, while Farzana Lalarukh, commissioner of the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC), was present as a special guest.

Delivering the opening remarks, Nuzhat Anwar, managing director of the DSE, said empowering women strengthens families, stabilises societies and accelerates national development.

Navanita Sinha, deputy country representative of UN Women, highlighted existing gender disparities, noting that women in Bangladesh perform about 5.8 times more unpaid care work than men, while their representation on corporate boards remains limited.

She said research shows organisations with stronger female leadership can achieve up to 21 per cent higher profitability, stressing that investment in gender equality is not only economically beneficial but also socially and ethically essential.

Following the speeches, a ceremonial bell-ringing was held to commemorate the day. Among those who rang the bell were Md Anders B. Kaelsen, Melita Mehjabeen, Nazia Kabir, Uzma Chowdhury and Mominul Islam, among others.

The programme also featured a panel discussion titled “Key drivers and strategies for women’s leadership—unlocking potential and powering economies,” moderated by Lopa Rahman. Panellists included leading professionals from the banking, legal and accounting sectors.

Speaking at the event, BSEC commissioner Farzana Lalarukh said several initiatives have been taken to increase women’s participation on the boards of listed companies to ensure better governance in the capital market. As the regulator, the BSEC is working to strengthen transparency and accountability through appropriate policies and their effective implementation, she added.

In a video message, state minister Shama Obaed Islam said the capital market will play a crucial role in achieving the government’s economic goals and serves as an important indicator of public confidence in the economy.

She said the government is prioritising measures to restore transparency and accountability in both the stock exchanges and the regulatory commission, while also expanding the market through the introduction of new investment products.

The minister also stressed the need to integrate the local stock market with global supply chains and the international trading system to create new opportunities for investors and improve market liquidity.

In his closing remarks, DSE chairman Mominul Islam said women’s perspectives on risk assessment in the financial sector can be highly valuable, though their participation in global financial markets—from Wall Street to the Dhaka Stock Exchange—remains relatively low.

He noted that the global financial system has long operated under a framework that often favours excessive risk-taking and a “winner-takes-all” approach, which may benefit only a few while increasing the risk of financial crises.

Ensuring balanced and diverse representation in the financial sector is therefore essential for building a more stable and inclusive financial system, he added.

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