
Case studies
Best practice examples of gender lens investing across themes, geographies and asset classes. For more JEDI-specific case studies, explore the JEDI Investing toolkit.
Women-Adapt: Amping up Gender Impacts in Climate Finance
The Women-Adapt project, supported by the Green Climate Fund and implemented by the World Food Programme, aims to empower women in the Poro Region in Cote d'Ivoire by integrating a gender lens into climate adaptation actions.
The project is centred around the understanding that women are key agents of change and holders of knowledge and skills that can contribute to climate resilience efforts while proactively promoting activities intended to address the gender disparities due to existing patriarchal structures and gender-discriminatory policies, practices, and norms.
Asili Agriculture: Building Resilience and Competitive Advantage in Agriculture Through an Inclusive Gender Approach
Asili is an integrated food security platform in East Africa, which helps farmers sustainably increase their agricultural outputs and incomes by providing improved seeds, financial and marketing services and training in good agronomic practices and conservation agriculture. Asili’s farms comprise over 8,000 hectares of land under management with a network of approximately 15,000 smallholder farmers. Through their regional hubs, they provide a vital link between small-scale and large-scale producers, agricultural commodity buyers and service providers.
Upaya Social Ventures
Upaya Social Ventures was founded in 2011 on the premise that creating sustainable, dignified jobs for those in the poorest communities can lift millions out of extreme poverty while supporting the transition to a green economy. To help create these jobs, Upaya invests in early-stage entrepreneurs dedicated to employing at least 50% of their workforce from local communities living in extreme poverty, where fair-wage jobs with predictable income are needed most.
Global Endowment Management
Global Endowment Management (GEM) is a leading outsourced Chief Investment Office (OCIO) that provides institutional investment capabilities for endowments, foundations and other long-term investors. Through its impact investment approach, GEM partners with its clients to ensure investments are aligned with their values. This drives positive outcomes across the investment value chain, often at the intersection of climate, justice, and gender equity. Its integrated approach enables GEM to leverage its position in the investment value chain to serve its clients, and to drive more just, sustainable outcomes for communities and the planet.
Good Nature Agro and Global Partnerships
Good Nature Agro (GNA) is a for-profit social enterprise that works with rural, small-scale farmers in Zambia and Malawi to supply the region with high-quality legume seed and commodities. GNA’s model provides farmers with certified seeds and inputs on credit, in-depth technical assistance (TA), farmer-friendly financing, and guaranteed off-taking contracts.
Juhudi Kilimo and BlueOrchard
Juhudi Kilimo was founded in 2004 as a simple agriculture microlending initiative to serve rural Kenyan farmers who could not access formal financing due to a number of economic, social and environmental barriers, including their remoteness (lack of infrastructure), limited market access, poor climatic conditions, lack of agronomic data, low literacy, lack of collateral or borrowing history, and poor or no financial records.
Tbilisi Transport Company and EBRD
The collaboration between EBRD and Tbilisi is an example of how a gender lens can be brought to green investments, and in particular how women’s employment and skills development and gender-responsive considerations can be integrated into green infrastructure investment approaches and processes.
SELF (Solar and Energy Loan Fund) and CNote
Solar and Energy Loan Fund (SELF) is a non-profit certified community development financial institution (CDFI), with a mission to rebuild and empower underserved communities by providing access to affordable, innovative financing for sustainable property improvements.
KL Felicitas Foundation
The KL Felicitas Foundation (KLF) is a family foundation founded by Lisa and Charly Kleissner, global pioneers in impact investing for the past 20 years. In 2015, the Foundation transitioned its portfolio allocation to 100% impact while simultaneously seeking index-competitive, risk adjusted returns.
Matriarch Revolutionary Fund
The first social impact integrated capital investment fund led and managed by and for Indigenous women across the United States.
Mākhers Studio and Coralus (formerly SheEO)
For-profit green manufacturing and design-build firm.
Madison Park Development Corporation
Climate and gender justice through affordable housing.
Chi Impact Capital
Women‑founded, Zurich‑based impact investing firm uses an integrated gender and climate impact methodology.
Envisioning Climate Solutions Fund (managed by Envisioning Partners)
South Korean VC uncovers deep tech opportunities with an internal gender lens.