Resources for Gender Lens

Resources for Best Practices & Education

GenderSmart - a global initiative and central hub of resources to unlock gender-smart capital at scale. It holds an annual Investing Summit which is a central gathering for the gender lens investment ecosystem to connect gender finance investment influencers and thought leaders, intermediaries, and experts. Their platform includes:

A large Resource Library, which features research, tools, and data on the field;
A GenderSmart Blog of personal and case studies;
Recommended additional websites for further research and resources on gender lens financing. ‍

The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania has been researching gender lens investing since 2014 and houses the academic hub for related impact investing research. Notable reports:

For for Women: A Framework for Evaluating Companies’ Impact on the Women They Employ
The Center for High Impact Philanthropy with the Wharton Social Impact Initiative released The XX Factor, a report that examines the inequalities and opportunities afforded to women and girls, and provides a framework for ways to help.

Criterion Institute - a think tank that specializes in gender impact assessment and finance’s role in gender empowerment. Has a large Resource List for educational and practical tools, notably:

Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN) has a gender lens investing resource repository of a curated set of publications and online resources designed to demonstrate the business and impact case for gender lens investing. Resources are organized into 4 categories:

What is gender lens investing? the definition and examples
Why does it matter? the business and impact case
How do I do it? guidance
Who else is doing it? the ecosystem

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Resources for Private Markets

Project Sage 2.0: Tracking Venture Capital with a Gender Lens - a global scan of gender lens private equity, venture capital, and private debt funds, and key findings on the current state of the field. This 2nd report is a follow-up to the 2017 publication of Project Sage and includes data through July 2018.

Database of capital providers, investors, and funds that invest in female founders; additionally, accelerators and entrepreneur programs with a focus on female founders, and additional resources for entrepreneurs and investors interested in empowering female founders. Resources consolidated by the Fearless Fund.

Gender Lens Incubation and Acceleration Toolkit - launched by Sasakawa Peace Foundation in 2019; an interactive guide to help incubators and accelerators promote a gender-smart entrepreneurial ecosystem in Southeast Asia, featuring some of the programs across the region supporting women’s empowerment startups.

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Resources for Public Markets

Artesian’s Women Economic Empowerment Bond Fund - launched in 2020 in partnership with the United Nations.

Veris Wealth Partners has published a library on gender lens investing best practices and trends within the public markets. Notable report:

‍Gender Lens Investing: Bending the Arc of Finance for Women & Girls (October 2018) - Veris’ 5th survey of gender lens products that are both publicly available (stocks, bonds, and certificates of deposit) and explicitly support gender balance and equity. The report examines the key developments of the past year and highlights the investment providers who are meeting the growing investor demand.

‍Can Investing in Public Equities Improve the Lives of Women? - 2017 report by the Wharton Social Impact Initiative.

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Resources