The field of gender finance comprises asset owners, asset managers, and financial service providers across asset classes, in public and private markets, globally. They range from mission-aligned foundations and impact investors to large banks, pension funds, and financial institutions. They come from across the finance ecosystem, leverage different asset classes, and are at different stages in their gender lens investing journeys. Some have a priority focus on gender equality, some focus on the power of women making markets.

Some have a primary commitment to issues such as the climate crisis, education, health, or human rights. Some have more integrated approaches to gender, where it cuts across all their investing activities and strategies. Their investments are supported and advanced by an extended community of academics, consultants, entrepreneurs, gender experts, policymakers, UN agencies, and ratings firms, who set and uphold standards, contribute to a growing evidence base, and foster an enabling environment in which to shape and shift markets.