Gender equality isn’t just a social imperative, it’s a financial one
by Maritza Cabezas, Investment Strategist, Triodos Investment Management
In 2025, Triodos Investment Management launched its gender lens investment strategy, based on the conviction that finance can drive change by closing inequality gaps that unlock economic and social benefits, while delivering healthy financial returns for investors.
Gender equality has always been important to Triodos Investment Management, reflecting its commitment to human dignity and basic rights such as education, work, and property.
Today, more than two-thirds of the clients served by the financial service providers Triodos finances through its financial inclusion funds are women.
The new gender lens strategy brings even more focus to supporting women, especially in emerging markets where barriers to accessing finance are often higher than in developed economies. Social norms embedded within cultural structures, along with entrenched stereotypes that fuel unconscious bias, are among the key barriers. Understanding country-specific barriers is key to addressing them effectively.
The gender lens investment strategy is an intentional and collaborative process whereby financial institutions consider gender-based factors throughout their investments to ensure lasting impact and includes:
Embedding intentionally gender-based factors into every stage of the existing investment process, rather than creating separate processes that would make gender value creation a short-lived effort.
Partnering with established working groups such as CERISE SPTF and gender-smart investment leaders like 2X Global and UN Women to draw on existing expertise, standards and tools for gender lens investing that meet best practice.
Securing buy-in from the executive board, senior management, fund managers and investment teams through both support and feedback.
In the early stages of strategy development, it’s important to understand the ambitions of those driving the process, as this helps shape its overall direction. In this specific case, the gender strategy gained real momentum when an executive board member offered support for its implementation, signalling clear institutional backing.
At the portfolio level, the gender lens investment strategy is strengthened by:
Assessing, early in the investment process, each investee’s current approach to gender integration, their knowledge, intentions, and available resources.
Conducting gender-focused due diligence with investee companies to identify disparities, opportunities, and expected outcomes for both financial and non-financial performance.
Developing a shared action plan with investees, setting clear targets and timeframes, and ensuring commitment, ownership, and ongoing improvement, discussed within relevant investment committees.
Providing expertise and training in gender awareness to build the skills and knowledge needed for effective gender lens integration, both within the company and at the investee level. Collaborating with expert working groups further strengthens these efforts.
The strategy is rounded out with actions focused on:
Scaling up gender lens investments by developing strategic partnerships with like-minded investors, thereby maximising impact and minimising costs.
Celebrating improvements with stakeholders and work to reduce friction where needed.
Developing a gender strategy is not a check-the-box exercise. It requires changing mindsets where needed through guidance, targets and engagement backed by an action plan and timeframe for implementing the strategy. Eagerness, patience and collaboration are essential to advancing gender equality.
Learn more about Triodos Investment Management’s journey to its gender lens investment strategy in their report ‘Investing in an Equal Future’.
