Strength in numbers

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Subject: Strength in numbers

2X Global: Unlocking gender-smart capital at scale

Dear Friend,

May has been a month filled with reminders that there is truly strength in numbers.

We’ve spent the past weeks deep in planning and execution for events and activities to reinforce the bonds between our community of members, partners and supporters.

Last week, we hosted our first ever 2X Investor Meet-Up in the Caribbean, bringing together representatives and stakeholders from both public and private capital in the island of Barbados for an evening of connection and engagement on how we can do more to invest in and economically empower women.

This week, we hosted over 80 members and partners in Nairobi, Kenya for a dynamic 2X Investor Meet-Up where we had the privilege of showcasing several outstanding local female entrepreneurs whilst exploring the realities and opportunities in gender lens investing in Africa.

And as we look ahead to next week and the start of a new month, we are also looking forward to upcoming Investor Meet-Ups in Mexico City and Luxembourg and critically, to our second GLI Deep Dive experience with 2X Global members.

Set for June 3 and 4, our second GLI Deep Dive, Resilience Multiplier: Gender Lens as a Climate Finance Catalyst will explore the nexus of gender and climate finance in deeper detail. Industry experts such as Amal-Lee Amin, Managing Director for Climate, Diversity and Advisory at British International Investment will share insights and provide practical case studies of how integrating gender equity and climate finance produces tangible benefits.

Returning to Nairobi, the location of our 2X Global Summit 2024, served as a reminder that the 2025 edition of the 2X Global Summit, co-hosted by the Asian Development Bank, is just over three short months away. Between September 2 to 4, we will convene our community in Manila, Philippines.

We know and feel how profoundly the world has shifted since our previous Summit, held in mid-September 2024.

Amidst the headwinds of these current complicated times which have emboldened some to champion and carry out unspeakable cruelty, the relevance of having a community of those who are committed and courageous, is not lost upon us.

We are not alone.

May we all be reminded that we are stronger when we work together and when we lift our voices together to speak up for intersectional justice, equity and inclusion that recognises the right of all humanity to safety and security.

Keep reading for a selection of the latest GLI news and insights. A great place to start - this new piece in Impact Alpha which explores how impact verification helps to advance gender-smart investing and which spotlights the stories and experiences of some of the first 2X Certified entities.

In Community,

2X Global Team

Join our team!

Are you interested in joining the 2X Global team? We are looking for a mission-aligned and highly motivated Fundraising & Partnership Lead, whose core focus will be establishing, cultivating and supporting long-term partnerships with existing and new funders and partners who share our vision to unlock gender-smart capital at scale. The Fundraising & Partnership Lead will have a significant background in partnership management and business development, pitching for support, and writing fundraising proposals. For more information, please visit 2xglobal.org/jobs.

News from the field

Mainstreaming gender lens investing. The EIB’s development arm, EIB Global has partnered with Kenya’s Family Bank to launch a €100 million financing initiative, which will support women- and youth-led businesses in Kenya. A new blog out from the WINGS network spotlights key philanthropic actors like GAGGA, Global Greengrants Fund, HRFN, and Prospera that are advancing locally-led, gender-just climate solutions, against the background that only 1.2% of human rights funding addressed both gender and climate in 2019. The recently launched third round of the Asia Gender Equality Fund from AVPN and its partners, is focused on investments in gender-just climate solutions. Could better fund design be part of the solution to truly drive impact in the impact investing sphere? A new piece from Impact Alpha examines uncomfortable truths and makes bold recommendations. Here’s a jaw-dropping stat - a girl born today would have to wait until her 97th birthday to see gender equality achieved globally. A new report examining the gender indicators of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals finds that at the current rate, gender equality won’t be achieved until the 22nd century.

Gender and Climate Investing. In an op-ed in Business Green, 2X Global CEO Jessica Espinoza lays out why gender equity must be at the heart of climate finance, calling for shifts in how we design capital flows and decide who gets to lead. This recent report from UN Women outlines how advancing gender-responsive approaches across the Rio Conventions on climate change, biodiversity, and desertification, can enhance policy coherence and support more effective, equitable environmental action. An in-depth read from ADB illustrates how women entrepreneurs in rural Mongolia are leveraging traditional knowledge and practices to build climate resilience and generate income. What do a surfer, a first lady and a former Prime Minister have in common? They are among the diverse group of COP30 envoys which Brazil has named to elevate climate leadership and international engagement ahead of the 2025 summit in Belém.

Leadership, Culture and Policy, JEDI. For the first time in that country’s history, Trinidad and Tobago’s political leaders and head of state are all women, following the April 28 general elections - President Christine Kangaloo swore in Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles-Robinson. Meet the rural women in Brazil who are pushing to reduce long-standing, deep inequity in land ownership and control in this absorbing long read from Think Landscape. ESCWA’s 2025 SDG review highlights uneven progress across the Arab region, with significant challenges in gender equality, climate resilience, and economic inclusion, calling for stronger policy coherence and investment in human development to meet the 2030 Agenda. Insights from a recent high level roundtable hosted by Standard Chartered and REE Corporation on advancing women’s leadership in the workplace in Vietnam. Amidst fierce consumer backlash for backtracking on previous commitments to DEI, American retailer Target announces that sales fell more than expected in the first quarter and warns they will continue to slide all year.

Data and Tools. Can AI be a gender-smart force for good? This is the mission that drives the team behind SheShapes AI, a global platform amplifying the work and voices of women in this burgeoning field. New out from the Climate Investment Fund - a playbook for integrating gender into climate finance vehicles, with practical guidance, tools and case studies to help investors and fund managers design more inclusive and effective climate solutions. In today’s rapidly shifting geopolitical landscape, what is the state of blended finance now? Convergence’s State of Blended Finance 2025 report has some answers.

Care Economy. In the USA, the Federal Reserve Bank of St Louis recently published its state-by-state analysis on the economic impact of child care on the labour market. In Australia, a new analysis from KPMG of the fastest growing and declining occupations, finds that care economy jobs, specifically aged and disabled care jobs, have grown by 98% over the past decade, while early childhood and childcare jobs have grown by 52.5%. Moldova government advisor Corina Ajder speaks about policy paths to reducing the “double burden” of paid and unpaid work which women shoulder and how it’s critical to building a more resilient demographic future.

Resilience (GBVH, Financial Inclusion, Security). European DFIs have joined an IFC-led, $199 million initiative to increase access to capital for women entrepreneurs in rural Indonesia. Women and people of colour have been among the most impacted by the U.S. federal government mass layoffs enacted by the Elon Musk-led DOGE, according to a new analysis from the National Women's Law Center. US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has quietly rescinded several internal policies originally designed to protect some of the most vulnerable people in its custody—including pregnant women, infants, the elderly, and people with serious medical conditions. Euronews looks at some of the reasons stopping female founders from accessing as much money as their male counterparts, as well as what can be done about it. A new report from FAO flags that while Latin America and the Caribbean is the only region in the world where women's participation in agricultural activities has increased over the last two decades, this progress isn’t translating into access to resources or decision making power.

Community Calendar

3-4 June

2X Global will host our second GLI Deep Dive, with programming scheduled to accommodate multiple time zones. Our teams of experts will explore how gender equity is a catalyst in climate finance. For more information, contact our Membership team at membership@2xglobal.org.

10-12 June

Pro Mujer is hosting the GLI Forum LATAM in Mexico City. The Forum is focused on promoting Gender Lens Investing as an effective way to drive equality and economic development in the region. Learn more and get tickets.

12 June

We’ll be connecting our 2X Global members and partners in the finance ecosystem in Latin America on the side of the GLI Forum LATAM. Limited seats available, please RSVP here.

16-18 June

The June meetings of the United Nations’ agency for climate action, the UNFCCC, will be held in Bonn, Germany. Registration and schedule information available on UNFCCC’s website.

18 June

We’ll be celebrating the launch of the 2X Ignite Africa Warehousing Facility, co-developed with Moremi Capital, and marking this milestone with anchor partner KfW, at our Meet-Up in Luxembourg. Register here.

26 June

The World Climate Investment Summit will be held in partnership with the London Stock Exchange, as part of London Climate Action Week. Learn more and register here.

Save the Date: The 2X Global Summit

The 2X Global Summit 2025 will take place in Manila from September 2 to 4, 2025, co-hosted by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Explore https://www.2xglobal.org/membership to learn how you can attend.

Sponsorship opportunities are still available - for more details, contact our membership team at membership@2xglobal.org.

Thank you to our partners and supporters

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Subject: Strength in numbers