From i2i Insights - Pakistan's startup ecosystem has rapidly developed in the past few years. Although currently experiencing an economic slowdown, the ecosystem’s stakeholders continue to demonstrate resilience and a forward-thinking approach.  

From Frontier Brokers and Australian Aid - “The report shares insights and process learning from design and early implementation of the Frontier Brokers’ projects. Key takeaways are included for funders, brokers, and others in the investment community who are interested in pursuing gender lens investing, and the report also includes recommendations for DFAT and other donors to pursue in promoting gender lens investing.”

From Bamboo Capital Partners. The International Trade Center, CARE Enterprises and Bamboo Capital Partners have joined forces in their mission to help achieve gender equality with the CARE-SheTrades Fund. The Fund was launched in June 2018 by Bamboo and CARE to drive progress towards gender justice in South and Southeast Asia. The ITC, a joint agency of the World Trade Organization and the United Nations, has now joined the Fund. The ITC will leverage its extensive SheTrades network connecting export-ready women entrepreneurs and women-owned businesses to markets around the world, to identify pipeline companies for investments.

From the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW). Shell Foundation and the UK Government commissioned the ICRW to conduct research on the key challenges women-led ventures face in setting up an energy business in India, and provide recommendations on how key actors in the ecosystem could attract and support women in the sector.

ICRW analysed 23 enterprise development programmes (EDPs) in India and identified four challenge areas:

Challenge 1: Women entrepreneurs are not participating in EDPs at equal rates as men. Challenge 2: Female entrepreneurs often do not have access to the same services and networks that male entrepreneurs do. In addition, services provided by EDPs are often not tailored to the needs of female entrepreneurs. Challenge 3: Investment gaps persist in women-led and co-led ventures. Challenge 4: Government of India (GOI) programmes have limited impact on female entrepreneurs, as deserving women-led ventures are not accessing or benefitting optimally from many GOI schemes.

The report presents solutions to these challenges in a series of tables and practical recommendations, addressed to three main categories of actors: EDPs, investors, and government partners. Each solution is categorised by time frame, potential impact, resource needs and gender focus.