Launching a new global industry body that convenes the entire spectrum of investors to promote gender lens investing

Some of the largest household names in the global investment industry today announced that they would be backing a new industry body set up to promote investment in women. The 2XCollaborative has been launched by the members of the 2X Challenge, a group of Development Finance Institutions and Multilateral Development Banks, in partnership with the […]

July 1, 2021

Global gender finance initiative sets ambitious new $15 billion fundraising goal after securing more than double its original $3 billion target

The 2X Challenge, founded by the Development Finance Institutions of the G7 nations, today announced that it would raise $15 billion for gender-lens investment after surpassing its original target by 100 per cent. Finnfund joined the initiative in May 2019. At the launch of the new 2X Challenge, the organisation said it would seek to […]

June 10, 2021

CDC and Finnfund invest in microfinance pioneer to drive women entrepreneurship in Pakistan

CDC Group, the UK’s development finance institution and Finnfund, the Finnish development financier and impact investor, have provided a US$25 million senior unsecured loan facility to Kashf Foundation, one of the leading microfinance institutions in Pakistan. Kashf Foundation promotes female entrepreneurship and has so far enabled more than a million low-income families across Pakistan to […]

February 16, 2021

Gender lens investing gaining momentum

Over the last few years, there has been a dramatic increase in gender lens investing, a strong indication that the financial sector is working to balance a legacy of lopsided investments. Finnfund, a Finnish development financier and impact investor, has since April 2019 invested over 121 million euros in companies that promote women’s empowerment in […]

February 4, 2021

Finnfund continues to drive financial inclusion by investing in Myanmar’s microfinance sector

Finnfund makes a 5.5 million USD senior loan investment in Early Dawn Microfinance Co., Ltd. (DAWN), the third largest microfinance company in Myanmar in terms of client outreach. The financing will support DAWN’s expansion in underserved townships and peri-urban areas. DAWN started as a Save the Children Myanmar Microfinance Program in 2002 and has since […]

November 24, 2020

Ticking boxes or setting goals? Gender lens investing is a dialogue

Kaisa Alavuotunki

Finnfund has since April 2019 invested over 121 million euros in companies that promote women’s empowerment in developing countries. I stopped to think what we have achieved in the past two years: We have joined two gender finance communities, implemented gender equality issues into our investment process through our gender statement and participated in defining […]

November 11, 2020

Finnfund’s investments empower women in developing countries

Microloans that increase women’s income and strengthen their financial independence. Better food security through financing targeted at smallholder farmers. Companies where half of the management are women. Finnfund, a government-owned development financier, has invested recently in companies of this kind in developing countries. The aim is to promote gender equality by investing in profitable projects. […]

2X Challenge exceeds initial target by committing and mobilizing $4.5 billion in capital towards women’s economic empowerment

Just two years after the launch of the 2X Challenge at the G7 Charlevoix Summit in Canada, the initiative has committed and mobilized a total $4.5 billion in gender-smart investments. Founding G7 DFIs contributed and mobilized $4.1 billion, surpassing the initial target of $3 billion by the end of 2020. DFIs remain the primary source […]

June 30, 2020

BOPA accelerates financial inclusion and female leadership in Asia

Access to financial services in developing countries is scarce, and it hampers the ability for people to improve their livelihood. Backed financially by Finnfund and IFU, BOPA is funding and developing microfinance institutions in Asia and has recently joined the 2X Challenge, a G7/DFI initiative to mobilise financing for women’s empowerment. Creating financial inclusion is […]

May 14, 2020

Finnfund invests in improving women’s access to critical health products in East Africa

Finnfund has decided to invest in Kasha, an e-commerce platform improving women’s access to genuine health, hygiene and self-care products in East Africa. The company sells menstrual care products, contraceptives, pharmaceuticals and a range of beauty products via its own platform, accessible through basic phones and a website and delivered to customers confidentially. Kasha aims […]

March 31, 2020