We held an Impact Data Chat focused on gender equality and impact investing in late March and had a rich conversation with representatives from foundations, evaluation firms, and nonprofits.

Below we share a list of resources and discussion items from the conversation. Please feel free to share other tools we should add and we will continue to update this.

Initiatives

• 2x Challenge, The 2X Criteria are a global baseline standard for gender finance. They are commonly adopted as a baseline/ minimum common denominator for investing with a gender lens across asset classes, markets and regions. https://www.2xchallenge.org/2xcriteria
• New Majority Capital. They are entrepreneurs and impact capitalists working on creating a better financial future by increasing the number of under-represented business owners via entrepreneurship through acquisition (ETA). https://newmajoritycapital.com/

Frameworks for Gender Analysis

• Gender Inclusive Framework and Theory https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/2018-08/gender-inclusive-framework-and-theory-guide.pdf
• Gender at Work framework: https://genderatwork.org/analytical-framework/?fbclid=IwAR0JA9q9VKLGghfIVC_oXyQTGF4PoN5tbYLsDyyPfx505ROTVMDbsDYx3Gk
• GRES, Gender Results Effectiveness Scale Pittman and UNDP http://web.undp.org/evaluation/documents/guidance/gender/GRES_English.pdf

Reports

• ImpactMapperr’s report on Women’s Movement Building and the SDGs, focused on funding and outcomes of WROs https://www.impactmapper.com/sdg5-projects/new-report
• Measuring outcomes in grantmaker’s funding portfolios and nonprofit projects through stories and coding qualitative data analysis. By Alexandra Pittman, PhD https://drive.google.com/file/d/18dWUJ0saVVA-xJMXJhlsqzuvhGNiYGN5/view
• The Intersection of Financial Inclusion and Gender during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Insights from Impact Investing
• https://www.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/the-intersection-of-financial-inclusion-and-gender-during-the-covid-19-pandemic-insights-from-impact-investing/
• Gender lens impact investing: a catalyst for change in commodity value chains https://www.common-fund.org/sites/default/files/Publications/CFC_AR_18_paper_GenderLens.pdf
• World Bank report on promoting economic empowerment and addressing GBV  https://ieg.worldbankgroup.org/blog/reaching-women-and-girls-fragile-countries-nine-figures?utm_source=Blog&utm_medium=LinkedIn&utm_campaign=Gender_Inequalities_FCV
• AWID Report on Gender Impact Investing & The Rise of False Solutions. https://www.awid.org/report-gender-impact-investing

Research, Blogs, and News Articles

• What role does feminist development and foreign policy play as a tool of state-funded resources for feminist movements and organisations? A discussion with the activists Amina Doherty and Michelle Reddy. https://www-boell-de.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.boell.de/en/2024/02/14/move-money-necessity-redistribute-feminist-resources?amp
• ImpactMappeŕs report on Women’s Movement Building and the SDGs, focused on funding and outcomes of WROs https://www.impactmapper.com/sdg5-projects/new-report
• Unconventional Ventures report on the state of resources for women companies in the Nordics. https://report2023.unconventional.vc/
• A Playbook for Designing Social Impact Measurement  https://ssir.org/articles/entry/a_playbook_for_designing_social_impact_measurement
• 12 lessons on gender lens investing https://intracen.org/file/itcgenderlensinvesting20211103webpagespdf
• In the Pursuit of Equality, Gender Lens Investing Can Help Tip the Scale
• https://www.morningstar.com/sustainable-investing/pursuit-equality-gender-lens-investing-can-help-tip-scale
• Women Are More Likely to Back Impact Investments Than Men — Here’s Why https://www.institutionalinvestor.com/article/2bstpo0h7569w26cav400/culture/women-are-more-likely-to-back-impact-investments-than-men-heres-why

Notes and Recommendations from the Discussion

• Note the difference between gender equality and gender equity, often used as interchangeable terms.
• Close the gap of confusion on gender lens investing and investing on gender equality, while the prior involves a pre-investment process with a focus on understanding gender issues and power dynamics, the latter does not necessarily mean funds will be destined to gender equity or organizations or programmes using that approach.
• Need for increased visibility of documentaries and data projects showing the impact of local and nonprofit organization’s gender equality programs and initiatives.
• Need to measure if gender equality programs are actually driving transformative change in communities.
• Keep a lookout for Feminist Principle Evaluation book by Donna Podems coming up in 2025.
• Check the work and content of Ann Murray Brown.

‍