Boursa Kuwait celebrates women’s achievements on International Women’s Day, ringing the bell for the eighth consecutive year

• Behbehani: Through their active participation and leadership, Kuwaiti women have proven to be a driving force for progress and vital contributors to the shaping of our national economy
• Female leaders discuss their achievements and the challenges of the Kuwaiti capital market during engaging panel discussion

Kuwait City, March 9, 2025 – Boursa Kuwait joined more than 100 stock exchanges around the world in ringing the bell for women’s empowerment for the eighth consecutive year in commemoration of International Women’s Day, reaffirming its commitment to women's empowerment and inclusivity.

The bourse also hosted an event under the theme "Ring the Bell for Women: Empowerment, Inclusion, and Equity," which brought together distinguished female leaders from Kuwait’s financial and business sectors who have excelled in their fields and continue to serve as role models in leadership and success.

The event commenced with a welcome address by Boursa Kuwait Board member Ms. Dalal Jafaar Behbehani, followed by a panel discussion entitled "Women: A Success Story that Inspires Generations and Shapes the Future". Moderated by Mrs. Dalal Al-Dousari, Deputy General Manager of Investor Relations at Gulf Bank, the session featured Boubyan Capital’s Chief Executive Officer Ms. Badriya Al-Humaidhi, Chief Operating Officer of Al-Wazzan Educational Company Mrs. Lujain Al-Wazzan and Mrs. Haya Boodai, Board Member and Chair of the Cultural Committee at the Kuwait Economic Society.

The event concluded with female leaders from various Kuwaiti investment firms ringing the bell in celebration of women’s strength, influence and ability to shape the broader economic landscape, showcasing the vital role stock exchanges can play in advancing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Boursa Kuwait Board Member Mrs. Dalal Jafaar Behbehani commented on the occasion, saying: "At Boursa Kuwait, we believe that recognizing women’s contributions begins with fairness and equity—an ongoing commitment that extends beyond this annual celebration. Empowering women is essential to economic prosperity and sustainable growth, and investing in them fuels innovation, fostering a diverse society capable of tackling present and future challenges."

She added, "For the eighth consecutive year, Boursa Kuwait joins over 100 stock exchanges worldwide in ringing the bell for women’s empowerment, reaffirming its belief that active female participation is key to building strong, progressive societies. This initiative highlights the critical role of capital markets in driving sustainable development and underscores the seven 'Women’s Empowerment Principles,' which offer practical guidance for listed companies and institutions to promote workplace and market equality and create opportunities for all without bias or discrimination."

“Through their active participation and leadership, Kuwaiti women have proven to be a driving force for progress, contributing to the growth of our national economy. Today, women represent approximately 51% of Kuwaiti employees in the public sector and 44% in the private sector— a testament to their exceptional capabilities across various industries. I invite you to celebrate this achievement for our beloved nation and recognize its ongoing efforts in this field, and I hope that this event serves as a springboard for the future, reinforcing the idea that true empowerment and equality begin with expanding opportunities, supporting female leadership, and fostering a culture of inclusivity and fairness,” Behbehani said.

Chief Executive Officer of Boubyan Capital, Mrs. Badriya AlHuamaidhi, also spoke on the occasion and thanked Boursa Kuwait for organizing the event. “Women are a vital pillar of any thriving society, consistently demonstrating their ability to innovate and excel. I am grateful to Boursa Kuwait for the opportunity to share my humble experience with my sisters and colleagues and I hope it has contributed to their professional growth,” she said.

“The concept of empowering and supporting women is not new to Kuwait, but one that is deeply rooted in our nation’s history and present. Women have been an integral contributor to Kuwait’s development at every stage. Today, we encourage the next generation of female leaders to equip themselves with the knowledge and skills needed to elevate our country to even greater heights,” said Mrs. Lujain AlWazzan, Chief Operating Officer of AlWazzan Education Company.

Mrs. Haya Boodai, Board Member and Chair of the Cultural Committee at the Kuwait Economic Society also commented, saying: “We gather today under the theme Women: A Success Story that Inspires Generations and Shapes the Future, with the hope of inspiring the next generation of female leaders to learn from our challenges and successes and continue the path that we have paved, empowering them to build on our experiences and take them to even greater heights to shape a brighter future for Kuwait.”??

Mrs. Dalal AlDousari, Deputy General Manager of Investor Relations at Gulf Bank, hailed the event, saying: “Today, we held an exceptional panel discussion entitled Women: A Success Story that Inspires Generations and Shapes the Future, which shed light on the achievements of some of the most inspiring women working in the Kuwaiti financial sector today. I would like to thank Boursa Kuwait for this wonderful initiative and I wish to express my deepest gratitude to our distinguished guests for enriching our discussions and sharing their motivational success stories.”

Boursa Kuwait hosted this event in commemoration of International Women’s Day, observed globally on March 8 each year. Held under the theme “Ring the Bell for All Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment.”, the event highlighted the importance of gender equality and women’s empowerment and was organized in collaboration with the World Federation of Exchanges, UN Women, the UN Global Compact, the UN Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative and the World Bank Group’s International Finance Corporation.

The worldwide event addressed three key issues to accelerate women’s empowerment, including the advancement of women’s rights and challenging all forms of discrimination, promoting gender equality and addressing systemic barriers to ensure inclusivity and empowerment as well as redefining power structures by ensuring inclusive access to education, employment, leadership, and decision-making spaces, and prioritizing opportunities for women to lead and innovate.

Boursa Kuwait is proud to be one of the first stock exchanges in the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Middle East to ring the bell for women’s empowerment, a testament to its deep commitment to sustainable business practices, diversity and inclusion. The company has been a signatory of the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Women’s Empowerment Principles since 2019 and has been a partner and supporter of the United Nations Sustainable Stock Exchange (SSE) Initative since 2017, where women’s empowerment stands as a key pillar.

Boursa Kuwait’s support of this initiative falls in line with its Corporate Sustainability (CS) strategy which stipulates ensuring initiatives apply and fall in line with the company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) pillars, industry best practice standards and investor expectations, creating strong and sustainable partnerships that ultimately achieve success and allow Boursa Kuwait to leverage the capabilities and strengths of other companies or organizations that have experience in different fields, and integrating sustainability efforts with the company culture, to achieve longevity and an ongoing impact that is carried on and instilled in the day-to-day operations of the stock exchange.

As part of the strategy, Boursa Kuwait has launched many initiatives in partnership with local and international organizations, focusing on support for nongovernmental organizations and charity programs, financial literacy and capital market awareness, the empowerment of women as well as environmental protection.

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