The Deputy Chairperson of the Financial Supervision Commission, Head of the Investment Supervision Department, took part in “Ring the Bell for Gender Equality”, an international initiative dedicated to the celebration of International Women’s Day – March 8. The women’s management team of the Bulgarian Stock Exchange (BSE) and Ms. Mariya Filipova, a representative of the leadership team of the Financial Supervision Commission (FSC), started the stock exchange session today.

“Today we have the opportunity to recognize the important role of modern women in a professional aspect. Women contribute with their unique leadership style, with their care for the teams they lead in a crisis and with the achievements measurable in various areas of life. What is specific about the non-banking financial sector in Bulgaria is that it has the important task and responsibility to develop the capital market in the digital age, and the participation of women in implementation and management will undoubtedly contribute to more communication, innovation and partnership.” Mariya Filipova.

The grand opening of the stock exchange session was attended by Hristina Pendicheva – state expert in the Ministry of Finance and member of the Board of Directors of the BSE and Vasil Golemanski, Deputy Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the BSE.

“We are proud of the strong representation of women at all levels of the stock exchange. The fact that it operates seamlessly and successfully during a pandemic is also reflected in the values of respect for diversity and gender equality that are fundamental to us. In this regard, we believe that we are a good example to follow,” said Vasil Golemanski, Deputy Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the BSE.

The initiative is being held for the seventh time and this year covers more than 90 exchanges worldwide. Its current edition is entitled “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world” in honour of women leaders and women’s organizations who demonstrate their knowledge, skills and qualities to lead effectively in the recovery of the Covid-19 pandemic. It is held in partnership with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the World Federation of Exchanges (WFE), the Sustainable Stock Exchange Initiative (SSE Initiative), of which the BSE is a member, the UN Global Compact, UN Women and Women in ETFs (WE) , in order to promote gender equality in the field of capital markets.