How Your Investments Can Elevate Women in the Global Economy

Today is Equal Pay Day in the US. It falls on April 2nd this year, a day that indicates how much longer the average American woman needs to work in order to “catch up” to what the average American man earned in 2018.

As we reflect on the income discrepancies between men and women in the workforce, it is the perfect opportunity to recognize the gender inequality that is prevalent across the globe.

Achieving gender equality and female empowerment is the fifth of the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030. Gender equality is a global imperative that can advance economic growth, reduce poverty, and promote stability. It can provide a necessary foundation for a peaceful, stronger, and more sustainable world where everyone has opportunities to succeed.

However, according to a recent World Economic Forum (WEF) report, basic global gender gaps could take 83 years to close across a range of economic, educational, health, and political outcomes at the current rate of progress. According to WEF, women experience only 59% of the economic opportunities and participation rates that their male counterparts enjoy globally – which has resulted in losses in GDP per capita of up to 27% in some markets, as stated by an IMF study. It's safe to say that empowering women is critical to boosting global prosperity.

One key driver of change is “gender-lens investing” - mobilizing private wealth towards gender equality worldwide.

I have attended many meetings with investors, asset managers, foundations and social entrepreneurs who are increasingly exploring this strategy – that is, investing in women and girls to boost developmental impact alongside a financial return. Essentially, gender-lens investing is an investment strategy that integrates gender-based factors into investment decisions. A number of gender-lens investment opportunities, strategies, and products are already available to investors and it is one of the fastest growing segments of sustainable investing.

Given this area’s importance, investors should seize on opportunities to establish SDG 5-related networks that can connect gender-lens wealth with policy, education, and business as well as philanthropy and investing opportunities. Private wealth can and should play a central role in catalyzing positive change for women in the world.

The question is ..

How do we want to influence the world we live in? Because every dollar we spend .. and every dollar we invest – expresses our values and the type of world we want to live in. Imagine what we could all do together, if we really wanted to.

Investing in women and girls can have a remarkable economic impact on the world. And when we assign our money a greater purpose, our money gives us a greater purpose too.