Criterion Institute

Day 1 of our second #genderlensinvesting retreat in Abidjan with bold and innovative Investment Leaders. Always a pleasure to #reimaginefinance and reframe investment norms with Mastercard Foundation Africa Growth Fund. #AfricaInvestments #AfricanDevelopment #Africa

What’s Next for Gender Lens Investing? Help Shape the Next State of the Field ?? 2025 marks ten years since Criterion published the first #GenderLensInvesting State of the Field. Since then, we’ve seen significant mapping and analysis efforts - from public and private equity fund trackers Veris Wealth Partners, Parallelle Finance, Project Catalysts from 2X Global/ SAGANA to systems maps (Nexial’s Gender Finance Map) and qualitative research (2021 GenderSmart – now 2X Global – State of the Field). As we wrapped up #ConvergenceXXI last week, we asked: What should be in the next State of the Field? Here’s what participants shared: ?? Spotlight those who have led real change: - What catalyzed their action? - What specific processes led to progress (not just the outcomes)? - Can we focus on depth and quality, beyond just the volume of capital moved? ?? Expand the conversation: Where are we not focusing enough attention yet? The retail/consumer market has huge potential to influence demand. ??? Center diverse voices and lived experiences: - Recognize those who have shaped the field over the last decade. - Continue advocating for those not in the room—GLI still leans toward voices from the Global North. ?? Celebrate the many ways to do gender lens investing: There isn’t a single approach. Every contribution strengthens the field. ??Create clear calls to action for different audiences: CSOs, foundations, institutions, private wealth holders, and advisors - how can each play a role? ?? Galvanize resources to move the field forward: On that note, join our upcoming (free) webinar with Equality Fund on the power of endowments for resourcing feminist social transformation. We want to hear from you! What’s needed now, given today’s challenges? Share your thoughts in the comments. ?? Field builders: Let’s shape this together—reach out to Sanjana Chhantyal and let us know what you’re working on. ?? Funders: This is a critical moment to step forward and support these efforts. #GenderFinance #ImpactInvesting #FinanceForGood

Financing the Reduction of Gender-Based Violence: A Workshop on Integrating GBV into Investment Strategies ?? 12 March 2025 | 7 AM EST / 1 PM UTC+1 ?? Criterion Institute (Online Workshop) As we celebrate International Women's Day ♀?this March, we recognize that advancing gender equity goes beyond policies - it requires financial systems to prioritize gender justice. Gender-based violence (GBV) is rarely considered a material risk in investment strategies, yet its impact on economies, businesses, and communities is undeniable. From workplace harassment to domestic violence, GBV affects productivity, increases operational risks, and hinders long-term economic growth. At Criterion Institute, we believe finance is a powerful tool for change. By integrating a GBV lens into investment decisions, risk assessments, and due diligence, we can: ? Identify and mitigate systemic risks linked to GBV ? Support gender-responsive businesses ? Align financial decisions with long-term social justice goals Join us for this free online workshop to explore how investors, financial professionals, and policymakers can use finance as a lever for reducing GBV. ?? Let's shift financial practices to create safer workplaces, stronger economies, and a more equitable world. ?? Register here: https://lnkd.in/dYkn-p4V #InternationalWomensDay #GenderBasedViolence #InvestingForEquity

Four weeks, 47 conversations, 152 participants - the Convergence XXI journey has now come to an end. So many of us showed up - whether we were worn out, overwhelmed or exhausted. We showed up because this work has never been more urgent, and it must be done in community. In the days and months that come, we will continue to navigate systems designed to slow us down and likely to take us down.?We continue to invoke our human right to be in conversation freely. We state for those who might later try to take this moment from us: “We, in solidarity, will resist.”? The work we have done?over the last few weeks to reimagine futures is a privilege—too few have the space, security, or resources to do so. We commit to using our power so that more voices are heard and NONE are silenced.? We will continue to seek out conversations that foster imagination and lead to collective action.?We may even host one of those ourselves – more on that soon. Just imagine what we could build together.? Thank you to everyone who attended, and to our supporters for helping to make these conversations possible: 2X Global Heading for Change FinDev Canada Tara Health Foundation Trillium Asset Management Stardust Fund Invest for Better #reimaginefinance

We had 18 design conversations last week on nine topics from context-specific financial inclusion and the care economy to integrating gender analysis into infrastructure and climate finance, and incorporating a GBV lens into investments. While we're still analyzing the nuances of each, there were some cross-cutting themes including: ? ????????????-???????????????? ????????????????: Examples include how to anticipate and address emerging challenges in the labor market, and thinking about forward-looking strategies that consider long-term climate risks and social impacts. This future-oriented approach was seen as essential for developing resilience and sustainability, which reinforced the importance of the framing conversations about future scenarios. ? ?????????????????? ?????? ??????????????-???????????????? ????????????????????: This focus on context-specific approaches was seen as crucial for ensuring the effectiveness and sustainability of investments across various sectors and geographies.? ? ?????????????????????????????????? ?????? ???????????????? ????????????????????: Gender cannot be siloed when designing solutions; it's an additional lens, facet, or set of contexts. Many conversations highlighted the interconnected nature of the topics, demonstrating how themes of gender integration, systemic change, innovation, and sustainable finance are woven together.? ? ???????????????????? ???????????????? ?????? ???????????????????? ?????????? ????????????????: The need to address systemic power dynamics and structural inequalities was a recurring theme. In many of the conversations, participants discussed strategies for shifting rigid power dynamics and structures by building coalitions to drive change, and explored ways to address systemic inequalities through investment strategies.? #reimaginefinance

"Our lack of imagination leads to learned-helplessness and self-fulfilling prophecies. It leads to solutions privilege, where we cannot perceive the solutions that challenge our privileges and our limited view of what’s possible, usually solutions offered by the people most affected by white supremacy and systemic racism." h/t Susie Pan for sharing this excellent quote on the consequences of a failure of imagination in #philanthropy and non-profits. As we move into Implementation week - the final week of Convergence - we'll be starting from a place of possibility. #reimaginefinance https://lnkd.in/daqH-vw

We found two interesting conversations on Krisztina Tora's Women Changing Finance Podcast that raise questions for Convergence design week conversations. The first features Carmen Correa, CEO of Pro Mujer, discussing the democratization of a gender bond in Argentina that has helped over 1,400 women entrepreneurs. But to set it up, she had to work with the legal bodies to even allow such instruments. The second conversation, with Naina Subberwal Batra at AVPN, highlights the progress of impact investing in Asia. Naina shares that Asia has the fastest growing number of billionaires. How do we bring these ultra-wealthy into the gender lens investing fold? She also highlights the emerging trend for impact investing among sovereign funds, and provides examples of funds (including those run by women) who attract local in addition to Western capital to expand their influence in the region. Lots of food for thought. Krisztina’s original LinkedIn is here: https://lnkd.in/d7dTahJC

“We never seem to have any data about men. Yet it’s clear that there are political risks, stability risks, rule of law risks that are coming from a performance of toxic masculinity and could almost be directly tied to it.” So, how do we make the business case for good men? Joy Anderson explores this emerging idea in the latest podcast episode, inspired by an early conversation at Convergence. The episode also features a conversation with Joy's dad Herbert Anderson, theologian and author of Jacob’s Shadow: Reimagining Masculinity, for his insights into masculinity, power and vulnerability. ?? Listen below – or wherever you get your podcasts. https://lnkd.in/d4sRRmeB

As we head into design week at Convergence XXI, Susie Pan Sanjana Chhantyal Yaquta Fatehi and team have pulled together some reflections from last week's strategy conversations. We had six of these, in two time zones: research and data, framing and storytelling, standards and metrics, product design and development, organizing and mobilizing, and training and expertise. We hope they spark your imagination around new approaches to #genderlensinvesting

??Here’s a selection of #genderlensinvesting headlines and report titles from the future, as brainstormed by #ConvergenceXXI participants. ??? ? What would need to change today to get us to these new realities?? #reimaginefinance #futures? Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) We Are Stardust Equality Fund ?