Reframing Resilience in the Time of COVID: Challenging the Status Quo and Transforming Power
In an aptly named recent NY Times article, Is Resilience Overrated?, Jami Attenberg wrote: “I want people to be proud of themselves for being resilient. It is an act of triumph to surpass challenges and traumas. I just don’t want it to have to be the only way of life.” This quote, and the underlying argument, struck me as extremely aligned with what Criterion Institute has recently
Read moreKey Concepts in Gender: A Primer for Investors
Interest is swelling in gender lens investing across the globe. With this swell is an increased use of gender-related terms and concepts. Similar to many fields, the terms we use and the way we use them when we talk about gender is important and meaningful. When terms are misused, this can cause unnecessary harm. To support investors to best equip
Read moreReflection: Beyond Borders Forum – Building the Runway for Young Women to Enter the Global Workforce
By Amy Chen Last month, I had the privilege of attending the second annual Beyond Borders Forum, hosted by Women’s Education Project (WEP), in New York City. The Forum focused on two compelling issues: preparing young women for fulfilling careers in the global economy and creating a corporate climate that is welcoming and equitable. The evening’s main event was a
Read moreGender Lens Investing Tool: Designing an Action Plan
Gender lens investing is the incorporation of a gender analysis into the systems of investing to make better decisions. A gender analysis is a disciplined approach to understanding how differences in power impact the advantages or oppression people experience based on their gender. An intersectional gender analysis considers how ethnicity, socio-economic status, religion, ability and other realities limit or compound experiences of advantage
Read moreCriterion Connections: Building the Field of Gender Lens Investing with Oxfam America’s Laté Lawson-Lartego
This issue of Criterion Connections, featuring Oxfam America’s Laté Lawson-Lartego, is adapted from a Conversation for Change led by Criterion Institute’s Director of Engagement, Christina Madden, at Opportunity Collaboration. Oxfam America partnered with Criterion on the recently released Blueprint for INGOs on Using Finance for Social Change. The Blueprint provides a framework and set of strategies for social change actors to
Read moreImplementation Guide: Lending Through a Group of Small Business Owners
Most 1K Churches choose the simplest, most direct pathway for their loan to a small business. We call it the Angel Investor pathway. It is a simple agreement between the church and the business owner to invest and repay a small loan according to certain terms. Other congregations have opened the lending relationship to include the wider public through an
Read moreVideo: A Spiral Of Change: Understanding The Investment Impact Of Sexual And Gender-Based Violence
From Cornerstone Capital: Recently, Cornerstone Capital’s Head of Impact Strategy, Katherine Pease, sat down for an in-depth discussion with two leading figures in the field of gender-focused investment and philanthropy, to discuss the role that investors and finance can play in addressing gender-based violence in companies and society. Teresa Younger is the President and CEO of the Ms. Foundation
Read moreReflection: Finance and Gender Experts in Vietnam Shape a Growing Community of Practice in Gender Lens Investing Across Southeast Asia
Over 40 gender and finance experts came together with community leaders in Ho Chi Minh City for a two-day workshop on gender lens investing. This event provided an opportunity to frame, identify and debate a shared vision for how to include gender in investment decisions. As investments across Southeast Asia grow, so do the conversations about the intersection of gender
Read moreNascent? No way! Southeast Asia is Worthy of the Global Gender Lens Investing Stage
Now is a critical moment to shape the terms of capital in Southeast Asia. More than ever, investments are being made in Southeast Asia by actors in and outside the region. With this increased capital in and attention on Southeast Asia, now is the time to push to make capital markets responsive to gender equality considerations in the region. And
Read moreDocument: Framing Gender Lens Investing
Conversations about the intersection of finance and gender are gaining traction and generating exciting momentum for the field of gender lens investing. However, these conversations can be fraught with fear, including the fear of offending or saying the wrong thing. The language that surrounds gender is powerful. Therefore, how gender is framed matters, and how we hear and interpret our
Read moreReflection: Making Gender-Based Violence Material to the World of Finance
“But I’m not sure how that’s truly material.” This is a refrain we hear constantly when we talk to people in finance about gender. Discussing whether or not something is “material” is a short-handed insult meant to dismiss and undermine. It suggests that, while we might think including a gender analysis in financial analysis is important, they unfortunately just don’t
Read moreGrowing the Field: Finance and gender experts brought together in Indonesia
Jakarta, Indonesia, 2 February 2018 – Over 70 investors, business and finance leaders, and gender experts from Southeast Asia came together at the Australian Embassy for two days to identify, and debate opportunities for success in gender lens investing – the practice of using capital to advance gender equality and generate financial returns. In Indonesia, women contribute actively to the vibrant
Read moreReflection: Gender Lens Investing Field-Building Event in Jakarta
This re-cap of the gender lens investing field-building event hosted in February by Investing in Women partners was contributed by ANGIN (Angel Investment Network Indonesia). Gender Lens Investing Field-Building Event in Jakarta contributed by ANGIN (Angel Investment Network in Indonesia) Criterion Institute held a two-day Gender Lens Investing workshop in Jakarta for the first time in years, with the support
Read moreReflection: Finance as a Tool to Address Gender-Based Violence Workshop, January 22-23, 2018
This was contributed by Nina Weissberg. Nina Weissberg, CEO of Weissberg Investment Corp (WIC), guides a diverse portfolio of long-term real estate commitments in the Greater Washington, DC community. In 2017, she joined the board of the Criterion Institute to focus energy on gender and social change through capital markets. Last week, I had the honor of participating in Criterion’s TOOLKIT on Finance
Read moreAudio: Interviews on Gender Lens Investing and Public Equities
As part of our ongoing sponsored research project into gender lens investing and public equities, we interviewed two of our generous sponsors, GCC and Calvert Foundation. These interviews look beyond public equities to understand how two investment funds far along in their gender lens investing journey have learned to see gender in their financial analysis and implement different lenses into their
Read moreVideo: Why Develop an Investment Thesis?
Criterion Institute’s Joy Anderson, Pacific RISE impact investing lead, shares why Pacific RISE is developing an investment thesis.
Read moreVideo: Pacific RISE and Gender Lens Investing
Pacific RISE will use gender lens investing to incorporate gender into financial analysis to improve investments and promote equitable social change. For more information visit: www.pacificrise.org/
Read moreVideo: Resilience and Climate Change in the Pacific
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Read moreDemonstrating New Possibilities: The Pacific RISE Investment Thesis
Pacific RISE is using an investment thesis to engage with investors and broaden the sense of possibilities about what types of opportunities exist in the Pacific. Pacific RISE is focusing on particular trends and ideas for the future which will entice investors into thinking differently about the Pacific. The investment thesis was launched and first road-tested with investors at SOCAP
Read moreDesign Session: Finance as a Tool to Address Gender-Based Violence
In July 2017, we partnered with InFaith Community Foundation and Futures without Violence to bring together a group of over 30 leaders from women’s rights organizations, philanthropy, and finance to think together about strategies to affect gender-based violence. The session was inspired by our partners at InFaith Community Foundation’s recent announcement of a new $10 Million investment portfolio to address the root causes of domestic
Read more2016 Recap: Notable Gender Lens Investing Resources
The resources below, represent a collection of notable resources on gender lens investing published in 2016. Jackie VanderBrug wrote the book, Gender Lens Investing: Uncovering Opportunities for Growth, Returns, and Impact. During the eight years Jackie spent working at Criterion she played a vital role in our gender lens investing program and continues to be one of the most well-known voices in the
Read moreReflection: Experiencing TOOLKIT
Since 2016, Criterion Institute has been delivering our signature workshop, TOOLKIT for Using Finance for Social Change to audiences throughout the globe. Participants come from a wide variety of backgrounds and sectors, including foundations working to end domestic poverty, women’s rights organization promoting gender equality in government policy, t faith-based organization looking to connect their theological imagination with systems of
Read more2015 Recap: Notable Gender Lens Investing Resources
The resources below, represent a collection of notable resources on gender lens investing published in 2015. Criterion Institute’s president, Joy Anderson, and Katherine Miles authored the State of the Field of Gender Lens Investing report documenting a comprehensive history of the field and strategies for the road ahead. Here are a few articles that have been written about the report’s impact: The
Read moreReport: State of the Field of Gender Lens Investing
Criterion Institute’s President, Joy Anderson, and Katherine Miles authored the State of the Field of Gender Lens Investing report documenting a comprehensive history of the field and strategies for the road ahead. The report, published in October 2015, narrates the history of Gender Lens Investing, offers several strategic road maps for the future, and names in the bibliography many organizations that are doing this work.
Read moreWhite Paper: How to Upgrade Your Due Diligence with a Gender Lens
In 2015, Joy Anderson and Suzanne Biegel documented possibilities for upgrading your due diligence with a gender lens. Below is an excerpt from this work as well as a link to the white paper they drafted. Definition: The core of gender lens investing is to incorporate gender analysis into financial analysis to make better decisions. This is not simply about
Read moreReflection: Gender Lens Investing – From Margins to Mainstream
In this article, Stephanie Marton, Associate Consultant at the Boston Consulting Group, presents a practical and strategical perspective to approach Gender-Lens Investment. Distinguishing the philanthropic cause of gender equality from pure market opportunities, Stephanie emphasizes that the message of gender-lens investing needs to be reframed in order to attract larger funding pools to sustain this new field of investment. Read
Read moreDemonstrating New Possibilities: Alternative Term Sheets as a Game Changer
Recently, social enterprise aficionado, Kerri Murphy, took the time to listen in on a call about a gender lens on alternative term sheets. Kerri works with us on a Gender Lens Investing Ecosystem Analysis project most of the time, but she had an interest in this conversation and took the time to reflect on what she heard. Check out her latest blog
Read moreGender Lens Investing: Notable Resources from 2012
We have compiled great articles from 2012 to help your understanding of gender lens investing. Goldman Sachs – Power of Purse As women gain more bargaining and consumer power, the way of household spending has been changing. This article goes deep into the changing pattern of household spending spurred by empowered women consumers. UN + WEF Global Gender Data This
Read moreAudio: A Panel Discussion with Root Capital and Calvert Foundation on Gender Lens Investing
In May of 2012, Root Capital and the Calvert Foundation joined a panel moderated by Jackie VanderBrug to discuss their experiences of incorporating a gender lens. Each organization now has a very clear initiative tied to mainstreaming gender lens investing considerations into their broader missions. We invite you to listen to this panel and comment if you like!
Read moreReport: The Landscape of Social Investing in Women
We are at a moment of great growth and innovation in the social capital markets, as we begin to apply investment capital toward solving some of the world’s most pressing social and environmental problems while also generating financial returns for investors. A critical component of the first phase of Women Effects Investments (WEI) has been to map where we currently leverage the capital markets to meet the needs of women and girls, with a focus on intermediaries targeting retail and institutional investors. The opportunities and challenges we uncover will guide individual investors as well as shape our efforts to...
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