OUR WORK
Gender Lens Investing
We partner with industry players to increase capital providers’ demand for Gender Lens Investing strategies and products, catalyse the supply of financial instruments available to small businesses owned or led by women, and invest in the growth of SMEs that support women through a ‘fund of funds’ strategy.
Challenges and Approach
Women face unique barriers to get the financing they need to grow their businesses. Studies show women-led companies get a small proportion of available equity investment, even though companies with at least one female founder perform significantly better than those with all male founder teams.
The financing gap for women-owned SMEs does not just affect women — it affects entrepreneurship, investment and economic growth across nations and economies. According to the International Finance Corporation, SMEs make up 98% of all businesses and provide jobs for 66% of the labour force in Asia; women-owned SMEs represent 31 to 38% of all SMEs in emerging markets. Closing the financing gap will help businesses and economies grow, while enabling impact investors to capitalise on this significant market opportunity.
Investing in Women partners with industry players to increase capital providers’ demand for Gender Lens Investing strategies and products, catalyses the supply of financial instruments available to small businesses owned or led by women, and invests in the growth of SMEs that disproportionately benefit women. We work in partnership with Australian Development Investments (ADI), DFAT’s impact investment facility.
Investing in Women aims to equip investors globally with the confidence, business evidence, and practical tools to expand financing to SMEs that disproportionately benefit women.
Investing in Women’s SMEs
Investing in Women is working to increase investment in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) that disproportionately benefit women in Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam. Investing in Women is partnering with DFAT’s Australian Development Investments and with impact investors and their networks, as well as international and regional organisations, to amplify and scale this work.
Investing in Women aims to equip investors globally with the confidence, business evidence, and practical tools to expand financing made available to SMEs that disproportionately benefit women.
Outcomes
As at June 2023
AUD 525+ million catalysed to bridge the finance gap for women entrepreneurs
AUD 15.4M invested to 83 women-led or owned SMEs
3.4x increase in deals in regional investment community via gender lens investing
7x increase in value of gender lens investing deals
Featured Resources
Closing the Gender Finance Gap
Investing in Women: Experience and Performance of Women’s SMEs
Building the Market for Gender Lens Investing – Insights From Market Actors
Our Trusted Partners
