Colombia- December 2017
Women executives and entrepreneurs led by Corporate Women Directors International (CWDI) President Irene Natividad opened Colombia’s Bolsa today to salute the significant contributions Colombian women have made to the growth of the country’s economy. Colombia is known for its strong contingent of women business leaders who have emerged over the past three decades.
Thailand- October 2017
Women executives and entrepreneurs led by Corporate Women Directors International (CWDI) President Irene Natividad and The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) President Kesara Manchusree opened SET to salute the contributions of Thai women to the country’s economy. This historic all-women Market Open marked the 20th CWDI-organized opening of stock exchanges around the world to highlight the presence of women in business leadership. SET is one of the few stock exchanges in the world headed by a woman, SET President Manchusree.
“I am honored that we could mark an important milestone for Thai women and for CWDI at our exchange today. In Thailand, the number of women that hold board seats has been continuously increasing, mainly due to increasing career opportunities on top of their own capabilities. Equality is ideal but actually concrete opportunities to show their abilities are more than enough. The growing employment and economic opportunities for women also create more sustainable economy and society,” Manchusree said.
The 2017 CWDI Report on Women Board Directors in the Asia-Pacific Region, which examined the 100 largest listed companies in 20 economies in the region, places Thailand 7th in the ranking with 14.4% women on boards, slightly better than the regional average of 12.8%. The percentage of women directors may still be low, but there is one sign of progress – among Thailand’s 100 largest companies, 82 have at least one woman director. After the SET Market Open, CWDI Chair Irene Natividad gave a status report on women directors globally.