"Within the entrepreneurial community there is growing recognition of the benefits of diversity, and more specifically of investing in women and gender equality. Despite this rising interest, most investors and intermediaries working with social enterprises and small and growing businesses (SGBs) are still in the early stages of understanding how best to incorporate a gender lens. This knowledge brief aims to share lessons and innovations from the Brazilian ecosystem on bringing a gender lens to supporting Brazilian SGBs. It focuses on four key topics, which emerged through a series of engagements, convened by the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE) and supported by the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), to catalyse thought leadership on gender inclusion and investing in Brazil."

"Existe, na comunidade empresarial, um reconhecimento crescente dos benefícios proporcionados pela diversidade e, mais especificamente, pelo investimento em mulheres e na igualdade de gênero. Apesar deste interesse crescente, a maioria dos investidores e intermediários que trabalham com empresas sociais e pequenas e médias empresas em crescimento (SGBs), ainda estão dando os primeiros passos na compreensão da melhor forma de incorporar uma lente de gênero. Este estudo visa compartilhar lições e inovações do ecossistema brasileiro sobre como trazer essa lente para apoiar as SGBs brasileiras. O estudo se concentra em quatro tópicos-chave, que surgiram através de uma série de encontros, convocados pela Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE) e apoiados pelo IDS, para catalisar a liderança do pensamento sobre inclusão de gênero e investimentos no Brasil."

"In India, women-owned micro, small, and medium enterprises struggle to obtain the financing they need. In early 2015, Swadhaar FinServe and RBL Bank launched an innovative business correspondent partnership to reduce the financing gap for MSMEs in India through a customized approach for MSME clients, with a particular focus on women-owned businesses. This Accion Insights paper examines lessons learned from the pilot program and can serve as a point of reference for financial institutions looking to reach the MSME market and female entrepreneurs, particularly through partnership."

"There are many ways in which investments can be made to address gender disparities and promote gender equity. Investors, managers, and businesses have various motivations and incentives when considering GLI. For this paper, we consider DAI’s work through the six “Gender Smart” lenses described below and discuss other frameworks and tools developed by GLI experts and investors."

"We assess the potential impact that closing this credit gap for women-owned SMEs can have on economic development, estimating the link between credit to SMEs and growth in income per capita. Our results suggest that closing the credit gap for women-owned SMEs in the BRICs and N-11 countries over the next few years could boost real income per capita growth rates in those countries by around 85bp on average. If the credit gap is closed by
2020, incomes per capita could be on average around 12% higher by 2030 across the BRICs and N-11, relative to our baseline scenario. Closing the credit gap for women-owned SMEs across the developing world as a whole could boost income per capita growth rates by over 110bp on average. While eliminating the whole gap is a tall order, the impact on growth could be dramatic.

"Written by Business for Social Responsibility with support from Women Deliver and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, this report aims to help unlock business opportunities that advance the health, rights, and well-being of women in global value chains. It highlights the benefits of investing in women along the value chain and provides a framework for action and practical guidance for companies to identify and strengthen value-chain investment opportunities that deliver positive returns to business, women, and society."

"Download this study to learn about:
- The experience of the United States, Europe and other countries in channeling more than $2.2 billion in gender lens investing.
- The gaps and opportunities in Latin America and the Caribbean to attract international investors.
- Success stories of companies in Mexico, Colombia, Panama and Brazil that are leading this trend."

"IFC’s Banking on Women business partners with financial institutions who have built solid track records of financing SMEs. IFC provides a full range of debt, equity, and investment products to banks to on-lend to women entrepreneurs...In the following pages we offer a sample of the impact IFC’s Banking on Women business and our client banks are making in the lives of women, their families, and economies around the world."

"Global evidence of a strong business case for investing in women and leveraging their potential as entrepreneurs is emerging. The 'Women Investing in Women' movement can play a significant role in addressing the systemic access to finance challenges that women entrepreneurs contend with. The report takes stock of the access to finance challenges experienced by women entrepreneurs in India and the resulting financing gap. It explores the potential of the 'Women Investing in Women' movement to address those challenges and enhance access to finance for women-led start-ups and small businesses. The core objective of the report is to identify a strategic roadmap for strengthening this movement in India to further the adoption of gender lens investing. This report will be a valuable resource for a range of ecosystem stakeholders including regulatory agencies and government policymakers, development agencies, foundations, private sector companies who aim to strengthen the women entrepreneurship ecosystem in India. It is expected to inform policy formulation and intervention design targeted at strengthening gender lens investing in India."

"Banks in emerging markets are increasingly providing non-financial services to their SME clients, typically consisting of information sharing, training and consultancy. This study, published by IFC in partnership with the Austrian Government, is the first to explore reasons behind this trend, finding that banks' key motivations include attracting and retaining customers and strengthening portfolio quality. The report consists of an overview followed by case studies of three banks, namely namely Türk Ekonomi Bankasý (TEB), Standard Chartered Bank (SCB), and ICICI Bank."