2X Global and Caribbean Development Bank Advance Gender-Smart Finance in the Caribbean
September 17, 2026
The drive to advance gender-smart investing in the Caribbean region is moving forward - on the global stage in Montreal and on the ground in the Caribbean.
Yesterday, on the opening day of the 2X Global Summit 2026 in Montreal, Canada, the recently announced partnership between the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and 2X Global took centre stage, spotlighting the Caribbean GEMS: Gender Equality for Market Sustainability (GEMS) Project.
With implementation already underway, senior officials from both institutions came together in person for the first time to highlight progress and the next phase of Caribbean GEMS, which aims to strengthen the ecosystem for financing women and women-led businesses across the Caribbean.
The collaboration announced by CDB in March 2026, builds on a partnership that began when CDB joined 2X Global in 2023 and marks an important next step in advancing gender-lens investing across the Caribbean
Lisa Harding, Division Chief, Private Sector Division at CDB, highlighted the project’s potential to shape the Region’s investment landscape.
“Caribbean GEMS represents an important step in strengthening the Region’s investment ecosystem and ensuring that women-owned and women-led businesses have greater access to the capital and support they need to grow,” said Harding. “By combining 2X Global’s international expertise with CDB’s regional knowledge and reach, we are developing practical solutions that can help investors identify opportunities, to address barriers and unlock more gender-smart capital across the Caribbean.”
Under Caribbean GEMS, 2X Global is supporting the development of a Gender Lens Investing Acceleration Toolbox and Digital Academy tailored to the Caribbean context and aligned with internationally recognised 2X Global standards. The initiative will equip investors with practical tools to strengthen access to investment and advisory support for women-owned and -led enterprises across the Caribbean.
The Toolbox will be accompanied by hands-on training for key stakeholders including governments, development financial institutions, investors and private sector partners on the application of the 2X Criteria and gender lens investing practices. The Digital Academy will contain practical learning modules, Caribbean specific case studies, tools and resources to help stakeholders apply gender lens investing practices to their unique operating contexts. The US$350,000 technical assistance programme is financed through the Bank’s Special Development Fund (SDF) and as part of its Gender Equality Action Plan 2025-2027.
Reflecting on the 2026 Summit theme, ‘Grounded Capital. Global Partners’, 2X Global CEO, Jessica Espinoza highlighted the project as an example of the enduring strength of the 2X Global network: bringing together diverse actors to advance gender-smart investment globally.
“The strength of the 2X Global community is not simply in bringing people together, it is in what happens when those connections translate into more,” said Espinoza, adding:
“This partnership with CDB is a powerful example of that and, we hope, a model for future regional and national collaborations. By combining 2X’s global knowledge and standards with CDB’s deep regional insight and influence, we can help build an investment ecosystem better equipped to recognise opportunities, address barriers and unlock capital for women across the Caribbean.”
