A new edition of the "Toque de Campana por la Igualdad de Género" was held.

In the framework of "International Women's Day", BYMA (Bolsas y Mercados Argentinos) together with the National Securities Commission (CNV) and the Buenos Aires Stock Exchange (BCBA) held the third edition in Argentina of the "Toque de Campana por la Igualdad de Género".

This is an action promoted by the Sustainable Stock Exchange Initiative with the aim of ensuring the full and effective participation of women and equal opportunities for leadership at all decision-making levels of political, economic and public life. It is celebrated in the month of March in 75 stock exchanges around the world.

The event, known internationally as "Ring the Bell for Gender Equality", took place this Tuesday at the BCBA and was attended by government officials, authorities from international organizations, business leaders and women leaders, who reinforced their commitment to the promotion of equality and sustainable development in the public and private sectors.

On behalf of the Government of the Nation, the head of the Women's Economic Development Center of the Ministry of Production was present. The Embassador of the European Union in Argentina; the Chair G20 Business Women Leaders Task Force; the representative of UN Women in Argentina; and the President and CEO of Mercer Argentina also participated. Regarding financial institutions, members of the Board of Directors of BYMA, BCBA and the CNV were present.

During the Toque de Campana, the initiatives developed by BYMA to promote sustainability and women's equality were presented. At the same time, the secondReport on Gender Composition in the Boards of Directors of Capital Market Companies prepared by the CNV was released, which showed that 49% of the companies do not have women on their boards, and only 11.2% of the executive positions are held by women.

"Measuring the reality of our companies allows us to have a real idea of how deep the problem is. The numbers, although with slight improvements, tell us that there is much to be done. Let's not give up; profound cultural changes require determination and persistence in order to modify deeply rooted structures. As regulators, we want investors to be able to look at these variables when investing. This is key, because visibility drives change. Today we emphasize gender, but diversity in every sense enriches board decision-making. We aim for this," said Rocío Balestra director of the National Securities Commission.

This included special recognition to EMDERSA and DEL FABRO HERMANOS, for being the companies with the best gender composition on their board of directors.

Florence Raes, UN Women representative in Argentina, acknowledged that "still the transition from education to the labor market does not yield positive results in terms of women. There is a need to work with the private and public sector in an articulated way to enhance diversity. This is what we are promoting through the Ganar-Ganar program, which aims at the economic empowerment of women in Latin American countries such as Brazil, Chile and Colombia, as well as Argentina".

For her part, Clarisa Estol, Chair G20 Business Women Leaders Task Force, stated that "to increase the participation of women in the economy and in companies it is necessary to involve men. Diversity is not just a women's issue; it is necessary to work together. The focus must be on talent, on intelligence. This is key to be able to achieve better results."

It is our duty as a stock exchange to raise awareness of the importance of the role of women in the  business world and the entire capital market. This is why we work every day on developments and products that promote the attraction and retention of women in companies, investors and other market participants. Our Corporate Governance Panel is an example of this," said the director of Bolsas y Mercados Argentinos, Gabriela Terminielli.

In charge of the welcoming remarks, BCBA president, Adelmo Gabbi, reminded those present that the entity he leads "always respected its commitments within the framework of Argentine legislation", and highlighted the appointment of Gabriela Terminielli to BYMA's board of directors as an important step in the path towards gender equality that the local market has begun to follow.

About the Ringing of the Bell

The "Ringing of the Bell for Gender Equality" is promoted internationally by Sustainable Stock Exchange Initiative, UN Woman, World Federation of Exchanges (WFE), International Finance Corporation, Women in ETF's, UN Global Compact, with the institutional support of the National Ministry of Finance and the Center for Women's Economic Development (CEDEM) of the National Ministry of Production.