This new index mirrors the performance of 100 companies leading the field in terms of gender equality according to Equileap’s gender lens methodology. The index is accessible through UBS’s newly-issued ETF, GENDER, trading on the SIX exchange.

The index methodology selects companies from 23 developed markets that have passed a combination of quantitative and qualitative filters. The former entail minimum liquidity and market capitalization requirements to ensure a certain level of tradability. The latter include light ESG and in-depth gender equality screenings, both defined by Equileap.

The gender screen ranks companies on 35 points according to 19 criteria, specifically gender balance in leadership & workforce, equal compensation & work life balance, policies promoting gender equality, and commitment to transparency and accountability.

Timo Pfeiffer, Head of Research at Solactive, said: “Over the past year, we have continued expanding our range of gender equality indices, in response to increasing customer demand for this theme. By teaming up with Equileap, we have successfully developed five investable indices, each targeting different countries or regions, that look at how companies are integrating gender balance all along their value chain and corporate hierarchy.”

Diana van Maasdijk, CEO at Equileap, said: “We founded Equileap to give individuals and institutions the tools and information needed to invest, aiming for both a return and a more equitable world. We are encouraged by the growing interest in our high quality data and relevant insights into gender equality in the workplace and we have a few interesting developments ahead of us for 2018, starting with this ETF with UBS.”

Olga Miler, Managing Director at UBS Wealth Management, said: "In 2017 we launched a fiveyear plan to significantly scale our efforts for female clients and make the wealth management industry work better for women. This ETF is another example of how we are doing that. Gender equality is important to our clients and our business. The combination of broad gender equality criteria, sustainability and 5% donation to the UBS Optimus Foundation, makes this ETF a leap step forward in connecting capital to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 5 – achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls."

For the index, the top 100 companies are selected, ensuring an equal weight exposure between US and non-US listed companies. The index is equally weighted, rebalanced annually and reviewed quarterly. The index is calculated as price return, net total return, and gross total return.