The Taiwan Monthly

Global Connection

TWSE Rang the Bell for Gender Equality among Global Exchanges

The Taiwan Stock Exchange (the “TWSE”) once again took part in the "Ring the Bell for Gender Equality" among stock exchanges worldwide during the week of International Women's Day this year, thereby manifesting Taiwan's support and achievement for the cause.

 

Initiated in 2015 by several international organizations, including the IFC, WFE, UN SSE, UN Global Compact, and UN Women, in line with UN SDGs (sustainable development goals), the event had been joint by stock exchanges worldwide, encouraged issuers, intermediaries, and investors to promote and ensure women's rights for economic participation. This year, 121 stock exchanges and central depositories, including those in Asia-Pacific, had joined the event.

In line with the global trend, the Financial Supervisory Commission (the “FSC”) had spared no effort promoting gender equality in recent years, such as requiring listed companies to disclose diversity-related information of the board of directors in their annual reports starting on 2022, as stipulated in the "Corporate Governance 3.0--Sustainable Development Roadmap," published by the FSC in 2020.

 

Accordingly, the TWSE had been urging gender equality in the composition of the boards of directors among listed companies since 2013, listing the percentage of female directors as an indicator for the Corporate Governance Evaluation in 2015, with an increase of its threshold to one third or more in 2019, and suggesting listed companies to have female directors account for one third of the seats on the board of directors in the revised "Corporate Governance Best Practice Principles for TWSE/TPEx Listed Companies," published in Dec. 2021.

 

The TWSE noted that continuing participation in the event underscores its respect for gender equality in forging an equal and sustainable capital market.

 

For further information, please contact: linda.pon@twse.com.tw.

 

Female managements of the TWSE gathered to celebrate the "Ring the Bell for Gender Equality 2022" campaign in honor of International Woman’s Day 2022.