08 Mar Gender Lens Investing on International Women’s Day
Happy International Women’s Day!
We wanted to take this opportunity to write about one of core impact themes: women’s economic empowerment and gender equality. SEAF has been investing in women-owned and operated businesses for the more than two decades now, and has found meaningful financial and social success across our markets. Our approach is based on the firm conviction that companies with strong internal gender equality are superior business performers. In 2017, we advanced our gender lens program with the introduction of a much broader women’s economic empowerment strategy. This past year, we developed a proprietary GES© to asses and promote gender equality in our portfolio companies, as well as gender diversity throughout the company value chains.
Additionally, we were recently honored to have been included in Wharton’s Social Impact Initiative: Project Sage 2.0 “Tracking Venture Capital with a Gender Lens”, which provides a detailed landscape of the current private equity and debt vehicles that operate with a gender lens. The report found an increase in the quality and volume of capital from gender lens investing strategies, marking an encouraging global investment trend towards women-led businesses. Project Sage 2.0 attempts to add clarity and transparency to defining and measuring the impact of this investment strategy. We are excited to have been included and to be listed alongside some truly amazing organizations that share our dedication to this important issue and needless to say, we are thrilled that this investing strategy is moving into the mainstream.
Thank you to the Wharton Social Impact Initiative for their work on this important issue, and we look forward to continuing to advance women’s economic empowerment and gender equality.