【3.8 Women's Day】Hong Kong Stock Exchange's Tang Jiasheng: Women traders in the 1970s were big news; now, women in corporate leadership have become the norm. Diverse perspectives are crucial to businesses.

This Sunday (the 8th) is International Women’s Day. The Hong Kong Stock Exchange (00388) will hold the “Ring the Bell for Gender Equality” event. Chairman Charles Li said in his speech that the concept of corporate governance is becoming increasingly popular, and with developments in society, economy, and culture, more women are entering corporate decision-making and leadership roles, becoming an irreversible and normalized trend.

He recalled the work environment in the UK during the 1970s, when opportunities for women to advance were very limited, and it was very rare for women to hold leadership positions. He openly stated that women being allowed to join the UK Stock Exchange as traders was “big news.” In stark contrast to today, for example, the Women Chief Executive Network in Hong Kong has over 60 current or former female CEOs of financial institutions in Hong Kong, many of whom are his friends and colleagues. He feels proud of this.

He pointed out that for stock exchanges, the ultimate goal of corporate governance is to ensure the long-term resilience of companies, markets, and economies. From a long-term perspective, they aim to do things that align with business interests, including gender diversity.

Restricting Women’s Development Is a Waste of Talent

Charles Li explained that limiting women’s career development is a huge waste of talent potential. In today’s increasingly complex business environment, diverse perspectives are crucial, and homogeneous thinking can lead to fatal problems. Therefore, HKEX has introduced regulations prohibiting single-gender boards, and companies are actively following suit. Over 20% of listed companies have at least 30% female directors, reflecting that the business value of gender diversity has been widely recognized by investors, companies, and the market.

However, he believes that current progress is still insufficient. Everyone must not become complacent, as building market resilience is a long-term effort. Continued investment in gender diversity is necessary, and all parties in the market should keep discussing related issues to promote further progress.