Central to sustainable economic development and business growth is gender equality through women’s economic empowerment.
We recognise the barriers that women in our markets face, and through our role as an investor, we have been working to close gender gaps, as well as demonstrate the social and economic value of investing in women.
A key part of this work is helping to move gender-smart investing from the niche into the mainstream. Increasingly we are hearing from companies and funds that they want integrate gender into their processes and operations, but often don’t know where to start.
In response, we have created a free-to-use, accessible toolkit aimed at investors and companies working in our markets. The Gender Toolkit brings together resources, guidance, and templates that focus on gender-smart investing, gender diversity and inclusion, and gender considerations across our priority sectors.
The tools provide practical guidance and steps to take, drawing from BII’s own experience as well as best practices across the industry. Central to this is the 2X Challenge, which has provided the framework for this content.
BII also offers the ESG Toolkit for Fund Managers, a comprehensive and practical guide for the development of a customised ESG management system, and assessing and managing ESG risks, impacts and opportunities. Gender-based risks is a key ESG topic that is covered in the ESG Toolkit. Throughout this toolkit are links to the ESG Toolkit where gender risks and opportunities overlap
This is the first version of the Gender Toolkit, released in December 2020. As gender-smart investing continues to grow as a field, BII recognises that these tools do not reflect the full spectrum of approaches. The Gender Toolkit will be updated as standards and practices evolve.
Your questions, experiences and feedback are welcome. Please email: [email protected]
