The Power of a Gathering

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Subject: The Power of a Gathering

2X Global: Unlocking gender-smart capital at scale

Dear Friend,

There’s something powerful about gathering. From actual, physical rooms in Mexico City and Luxembourg for our 2X Investor Meet-Ups to Zoom rooms filled with our members for our Gender Lens Investing Deep Dive event on climate, in June we felt the power of our collective energy and shared purpose.

The conversations that were had, the connections which were made and the collaborations which were started at these convenings, underscored yet again how critical it is to forge a community united not just by interest or industry but by intention.

Across languages, time zones, and portfolios, we continue to see a shared commitment to embedding gender lens investing at the heart of how we respond to today’s most pressing global challenges.

That commitment was present during our Members Deep Dive at the start of June entitled Resilience Multiplier: Gender Lens as a Climate Finance Catalyst. Over the course of the two days of sessions, our experts led conversations that were thoughtful, urgent and deeply insightful. We heard from those financing women-led climate solutions, those integrating gender into transition finance strategies, and those pushing the boundaries of what climate and gender data can reveal. One thing became abundantly clear: if we want resilient, inclusive, and sustainable outcomes, we must center gender at every step.

As we look ahead to the second half of the year, we’re looking forward to more convening and community building focused on driving economic empowerment for women and girls.

Next month, we’ll be in London for another 2X Investor Meet-Up, hosted in partnership with the Private Infrastructure Development Group.

And later this year, we will host our flagship convening, the 2X Global Summit 2025, co-hosted by the Asian Development Bank in Manila, Philippines from September 2 to 4.

We can’t wait to see what happens when we bring commitment, capital and courage together once again.

In Community,

2X Global Team

News from the field

Mainstreaming gender lens investing. How do we solve the perennial 2% problem? In her latest article on Medium, our CEO Jessica Espinoza digs deeper into the well-known stat about the paltry percentage of venture capital which goes to women entrepreneurs. Spoiler alert - it's not a pipeline problem. Read her analysis of the issue. Amidst ongoing ESG backlash, investment industry insiders say that gender lens investing is still standing but facing a reset, separating funds with GLI substance and depth from those that were “performative.” It’s been a year since the third 2X Challenge was launched at the G7 Summit 2024 in Italy. A new post on our Field Notes blog shares what’s new, what’s different and what’s next. A new evaluation report out from UN Women assesses the agency’s progress in gender‑lens investing, highlighting early gaps in capital allocation and recommendations to strengthen impact. A new report from McKinsey shows private markets holding steady despite a funding slowdown as 2024 saw fundraising drop to an eight-year low, but deal activity and distributions rebounded. Criterion’s new report spotlights African fund leaders shifting power, highlighting investment practices that decentralise decision-making and expand access, led by firms like HealthCap Africa and WEAV Capital. Interested in helping to shape the field of gender lens investing? Our friends at the Criterion Institute are conducting a survey to gather insights for an upcoming report on the Future of the Field. Find and complete the survey here.

Gender and Climate Investing. The European Investment Bank has developed a new tool which highlights how climate change is already straining healthcare systems across Europe, projecting up to a 0.5 percent rise in healthcare demand across Europe by 2050 due to heatwaves, floods and wildfires. "The impacts of climate change are not neutral" writes our CEO Jessica Espinoza in a new post on Medium where she stresses the imperative of putting women’s leadership at the heart of climate solutions to drive more just and effective outcomes. A coalition of six major development banks—including the EIB and ADB—has committed €3 billion by 2030 under the Clean Oceans Initiative 2.0 to curb plastic pollution and boost circular solutions. Latimpacto has published a practical guide with three regional case studies, highlighting how companies embed carbon reduction within their own supply chains. A new working paper from CGAP outlines how inclusive financial systems can bolster climate resilience for vulnerable populations. FSD Africa’s new report reviews over 50 studies, finding voluntary carbon projects can benefit communities—but issues like delayed payments, inequitable governance and added burdens on women persist. New York City’s Comptroller is requiring pension fund asset managers to submit credible climate-transition strategies by 30 June or risk losing mandates.

Leadership, Culture and Policy, JEDI. What does the increasing gender gap in politics mean for our future? Reuters reports on the growing trend of young men increasingly voting right-wing, blaming feminism, immigration and economic shifts, while their female peers lean left. In Ghana, Fidelity Bank has pledged targeted funding—via Orange Corners and Mastercard Foundation programmes—to support young and female-led SMEs, easing collateral and borrowing constraints. An op-ed from the Center for Global Development reasserts that closing gender gaps in education, labour and finance is not only fair, but a strategic economic necessity - read why.

Data and Tools. Still a century away - but some countries are closer to gender parity than ever. The new Global Gender Gap Index shows only 68.8 % of the gap closed, with full equality estimated in 123 years; Iceland leads at 92.6 %, followed by Finland and Norway. FAO and ITC release a guide to help financial institutions support women in agribusiness value chains under the African Continental Free Trade Area. The toolkit addresses finance barriers and proposes gender-responsive strategies, drawing on case studies from Ghana and Nigeria.

Care Economy. Nearly half of US states face unpaid caregiving emergency according to A Columbia University study which reveals that 48 % of states are at “critical” or “high-risk” levels due to unpaid family caregiving strain, especially in rural areas and dementia hotspots.

Resilience (GBVH, Financial Inclusion, Security). In a new post on our blog, member FINCA shares the story of the evolution of the FINCA Tajikistan Women’s Club which in three years has grown to a thriving network of over 6000 women entrepreneurs. Are women paying a higher price in forex funding? CGAP reports on its research which shows that smaller lenders who tend to serve women face higher operational costs, hidden costs which ultimately burden female borrowers. With women’s employment at just 43% across the Pacific Islands, the World Bank is urging for greater and faster implementation of gender equality in labour markets which could raise GDP by up to 22% region-wide.

Community Calendar

2 July

Join us for an evening of networking and connection with peers in the gender lens investing space at the 2X Global Investor Meetup in London, co-hosted with PIDG. Limited spaces available, please RSVP here.

30 June - 3 July

The fourth International Conference on Financing for Development is taking place in Seville, Spain, with a focus on addressing the financing challenges and barriers preventing the needed investment push for the SDGs.

3-5 July

The 35th edition of the Global Summit for Women is being held in Berlin, Germany, bringing together women business leaders and national leaders from across the world. Click to learn more and register.

29- 31 July

The Caribbean Investment Forum, the region’s largest forum for investors, entrepreneurs and policymakers, is being held in Montego Bay, Jamaica this year, with opportunities for exploring investments in sustainable agriculture, digital transformation, green economy transition and logistics. CIF is hosted by the Caribbean Export Development Agency.

Save the Date: The 2X Global Summit

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

Partnership 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: The Power of a Gathering