Global Financial Institutions Progressing Towards Gender Balance, says London-based Report

By: WE Staff | Friday, 18 April 2025

• As per a new report, global financial institutions are only halfway towards achieving gender balance
• A total of three institutions have scored 100 in Gender Balance Index

A London-based platform, Official Monetary and Financial Institutions Forum has published a new report in collaboration with US money manager Franklin Templeton stating global financial institutions continuing to remain less than halfway in achieving gender balance for their workforce even after recording the remarkable upgrade since the year 2021 in the middle of a reverberation against North America’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

The report says their average score has increased from 37 in 2024 to 42 in 2025 in the Gender Balance Index (GBI) by Official Monetary and Financial Institutions Forum compilation. This report tracks women’s representation in 335 institutions that includes central banks, commercial banks, pension funds and sovereign wealth funds.

With 58% scoring higher than last year, commercial banks led the charge, being likely as a result of policies and efforts that is dedicated towards empowering the initiatives over the past 10 years. As per the report, a total of three institutions i.e., Banco Central de Chile, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan and Norges Bank Investment Management that achieved perfect scores of 100.

“The talent pipeline only shows modest gains,” while the GBI scores have improved. The report has added that US anti-DEI moves may cause contagion, worldwide. It states, “Even more concerning is that this modest progress is at risk, given the political climate in 2025 and growing backlash against [DEI] efforts.”