Ring the Bell

São Paulo, March 8, 2021 – Today and for the fifth consecutive year, Brazil’s exchange B3 ceremonially rang the opening bell to raise awareness of female economic empowerment, and to point out opportunities for the private sector when promoting gender equality and sustainable development.

Sustainable Stock Exchanges (SSE) coordinated the initiative, which brought together more than 100 exchanges across the world. The central theme of this year’s event was the role of female leadership towards an equal world, against a background of COVID-19.

B3 used the occasion to announce to the market that in 2021 it will provide two workshops, with supporting material, that will help listed companies, clients and partners in their endeavors towards greater diversity and inclusion. 

The events, aimed at HR leaders at companies, will be free and online. “B3 has an important role in the market, of fostering ESG best practice, and we have noticed growing interest among companies towards developing their actions. We understand that this is a journey, that there is a lot to be done, but we are providing another tool that will help companies tread this path”, said Ana Buchaim, B3’s People, Marketing, Communications and Sustainability Director. 

There was panel discussion held at the event, which Ana Buchaim moderated and which had welcome contributions from Dra Valdirene Silva de Assis, Labor Attorney and Equality senior manager at the Attorney’s Office for Labor Relations; Claudia Prado, B3 Board member and member of the Fiscal Council of the Sírio Libanês Social Responsibility Institute; and Marian Holanda, Diversity and Inclusion director at Ambev. The event can be seen in full at TV B3.

In addition to SSE, B3’s other partners in organizing Ring the Bell for Gender Equality are the UN Global Compact, UN Women, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Women in ETFs (WE) and the World Federation of Exchanges (WFE).