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.
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.
Reimagining gender lens investing futures is both a reflection on the field today and a hopeful vision for where it could go, grounded in the real work of field builders across geographies and sectors. These practitioners continue to defend gender’s continued relevance to finance in the face of resistance. They are also expanding its role, reimagining its potential as a tool for change, and building the infrastructure needed to sustain that change over the next decade.
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Our work depends on an ever-expanding community of team members, advisors, donors, and other partners who help us achieve our mission.
