The business case for gender inclusion is clear: When companies build gender-diverse teams, promote women to positions of leadership, and focus on women customers, it leads to increased profitability, higher sales, and multiple other commercial benefits.
Despite the robust evidence base, there are still too few concrete and relatable examples showing how change happens and the types of gender actions that can be effective for investors and for early-stage companies. This is understandable given the myriad challenges these companies face yet presents a challenge for investors, funders, and early- stage companies themselves.
This report helps fill this gap, showing what works based on the collective experience of Acumen, Value for Women, and 60 Decibels.
- Part 1 offers a detailed account of Acumen's journey as a investor addressing gender inclusion internally and across its portfolio.
- Part 2 shares a set of case studies and actionable pathways for early-stage companies in emerging markets to take decisive action to improve gender equality. The cases draw from Value for Women and Acumen's experience in supporting more than 100 early-stage companies with technical assistance.
- Part 3 documents the undertaking of 60 Decibels, a global impact measurement company, in concert with Acumen and with support from Global Affairs Canada (GAC), to develop tools to measure gender-based impact by surveying customers between 2020 and 2024.
The report uses real examples to illustrate how change happens and what it looks like when companies pursue gender inclusion work and achieve successful business and social outcomes, and also points to the financial and technical support provided by funders, investors, and experts to support companies to do this gender work.
Acumen is a global force of entrepreneurs,
investors, philanthropists, and social innovators working together to
break the cycle of poverty. They focus on investing in transformational companies, building sustainable markets and preparing leaders with the tools they need to create a more just and inclusive future. Since 2001, they have scaled companies and shaped markets in some of the hardest to reach communities on the planet, impacting hundreds of millions of lives.
Value for Women is a global advisory services firm with a mission to promote women’s participation and leadership in business, finance and investment around the globe, with a focus on emerging markets.