Cambodia Joins Global 'Ring the Bell for Gender Equality' Initiative for the First Time

• On March 25, Cambodia took part in the global Ring the Bell for Gender Equality campaign for the first time
• The Securities and Exchange Regulator of Cambodia (SERC) and UN Women co-hosted the event
• ACLEDA Bank and the Cambodia Securities Exchange (CSX) are providing support 

On 25 March, Cambodia joined the global "Ring the Bell for Gender Equality" event for the very first time, a historic milestone co-hosted by UN Women and the Securities and Exchange Regulator of Cambodia (SERC) in collaboration with facilitation from the Cambodia Securities Exchange (CSX) and ACLEDA Bank. The event brought together financial players, stock exchanges, and business leaders to promote gender equality in the workplace, marketplace, and community. 

The "Gender Action Lab (GAL): Innovation and Impact for Gender Equality in Asia-Pacific," a regional initiative run by UN Women in partnership with Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), hosted this historic event. Its goal is to encourage the adoption of the "Women's Empowerment Principles (WEPs)" in order to spur business action for gender equality. 

By participating in the initiative, Cambodia is among more than 120 stock exchanges globally pledging to the Ring the Bell movement. The global campaign, initiated in 2014, is a partnership between Women in ETFs, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative, the UN Global Compact, UN Women, and the World Federation of Exchanges. It focuses on increasing awareness of the crucial role businesses have in promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women. 

Numerous companies in Cambodia are rising to the occasion. According to Amara Mar, Senior Group CFO at ACLEDA Bank, the bank works hard to promote diversity and ensure that women are represented at all levels. "There are social and economic advantages to gender equality," she stated. 

Cambodia now has 18 WEPs signatories overall, and more than 10,000 businesses worldwide have incorporated gender equality into their business models as a result of the ceremony, which recognized three businesses for their commitment to the WEPs. "There's still a lot to do, and this is a wake-up call," said Nicholas Spencer, CEO of IBIS Rice and a signatory himself, who underlined the importance of women's empowerment for long-term sustainability and success. 

Cambodia's participation in the GAL initiative together with Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines is an expression of a wider regional investment in co-creating, piloting, and scaling successful solutions for gender equality. The first Ring the Bell event in Cambodia is a great success and marks the beginning of a continuous effort to make society more inclusive. "This movement is about action—breaking down barriers and closing opportunity gaps," said Sophea Khun, the coordinator of the UN Women's Country Programme, summarizing the event. The private sector is essential to this process. 

"We all share a shared responsibility for promoting gender equality," stated Keo Sam Art, Head of Legal at ACLEDA Bank, in support of that viewpoint. Every single one of us and every single organization must contribute to the solution."