Since 2017, Criterion has been working to prove that finance can be a tool to address gender-based violence. These Roadmaps provide guidance on where we see the most significant opportunities and what needs to be done to advance those opportunities. This is not a comprehensive solution to address gender-based violence. Finance is but one tool in the broader work of ending violence. We seek to identify opportunities where engaging systems of finance can fit into the broader landscape of violence prevention and response efforts.
Explore our extensive library of resources on using finance as a tool for transformative social change. Browse by category and sub-categories to find the most relevant materials for your needs. Our library contains reports, case studies, toolkits, and other content aimed at investors, governments, civil society organizations, and anyone interested in harnessing capital for positive impact. Dive in and discover insights and guidance to help drive progress on critical issues.
This framework for financing the prevention of gender-based violence offers a shared way of understanding how financial systems themselves shape the conditions in which gender‑based violence persists. It translates established GBV prevention logic into a form that is legible and usable by financial decision‑makers, while remaining grounded in the realities of GBV work.
If we are to advance gender equality and social justice through finance, it is not enough to increase representation or move more capital. We must also address the underlying ways in which power, privilege, and bias operate in financial systems.
The West and East Africa Gender-Based Violence Due Diligence Tool is designed to equip investors with a structured way to identify, assess, and mitigate the material risks gender-based violence (GBV) poses to their investments, particularly within the sociopolitical contexts of West and East Africa.
Over the past few years, Criterion Institute has formalized a system of Advanced Practice to make these shifts visible and replicable. Built on four guiding interconnected principles – Will to Act, Integrity, Accountability, and Inclusion – this system provides a coherent framework for identifying current investment practices, analyzing power dynamics, and proposing shifts that can become new standards for asset owners and managers.
Criterion Institute’s investment thesis reimagines finance as a tool for systems change in Africa by aligning capital with power redistribution, gender analysis, and context-specific strategies to create dignified, inclusive economic growth.
Advancing Research and Investment Standards for Gender Equity (ARISE) Consortium announced an exciting funding opportunity for research on closing the gender gap in financing for entrepreneurs. Nearly 400 entrepreneurs across the globe submitted research proposals and over 30 organizations were shortlisted for in-depth interviews on their work.
Our work depends on an ever-expanding community of team members, advisors, donors, and other partners who help us achieve our mission.
