Why women's inclusion drives sustainable progress

There is no solution to the climate crisis without women in the driving seat. If we want to accelerate change and build a more sustainable future for all, we need to invest in women. Here is why. 🔹 Climate change is not gender neutral. It is impacting women and girls’ health, food security, economic opportunities, and education, first and hardest. FAO released Unjust Climate, showing the worsening impact of climate change on women and girls. They calculated that a 1°C global temperature increase is associated with a 34% reduction in female-headed households’ income, compared to male-headed households. Women are also impacted more and at a greater risk of dying from climate-related disasters than men. 🔹 Women are central to the solutions. We must make sure women have a seat at the table, from the boardrooms to the village councils. Think about Wangari Maathai or Jane Goodall, and the young climate activists pushing Governments to act, such as Vanessa Nakate, Elizabeth Wathuti , O.G.W or Ineza Umuhoza Grace. I have seen myself on the ground numerous projects, aiming to help communities adapt to a changing climate. Most of them were led by women.  Women leadership brings transformational change, in all sectors of society. A 2019 study found that more women in parliaments led to the adoption of stronger climate change policies. This is true as well in the private sector. This is why we must fight to break the glass ceiling and claim our space at every decision-making level. 🔹 We need to invest more in women. Today, only 2.4% of climate finance targets gender specifically. Yet evidence shows, that if women were provided with the same access to resources as men, we could not only lift 100 to 150 million people out of hunger and add trillions to the world economy, but also cut 2.1 billion tons of emissions by 2050. 🔹 There will no progress for women when they are still discriminated and violated across the world. Today, women’s rights are under threat and one in three women experiences gender-based violence in her lifetime. We should keep fighting for women’s rights everywhere. On today’s International Women’s Day, and every day, we must keep pushing. We must urge our Government to prioritize women and girls. #iwd2024 #InvestInWomen

#𝗜𝗪𝗗𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱: 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼—𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿. To mark International Women's Day, I was proud to celebrate the incredible work of our teams in driving real change for women and girls worldwide.  From keeping girls in school to boosting women’s workforce participation, the impact is real. Kudos to the teams for their incredible work in unlocking economic opportunities, strengthening policies, and ensuring women and girls thrive. Here are some groundbreaking research and analysis that have shaped policies and created new pathways for women and girls’ economic empowerment: 🔹 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗱𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗚𝗶𝗿𝗹𝘀 𝗣𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗢𝗳𝗳:    The Pathways to Prosperity for Adolescent Girls in Africa Report (http://wrld.bg/SCc950VcOkZ) highlights that every $1 invested in girls’ education, health, and economic opportunities could generate more than a tenfold return in economic impact, with potential gains of $2.4 trillion. [🎞️Watch the video: https://lnkd.in/eq6ZD5Gr ] 🔹 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲:  The Azerbaijan Women’s Human Capital (http://wrld.bg/hopj50VcOt8) Initiative led to 674 job restrictions being removed, the lifting of the night work ban, and historic female hires—including Azerbaijan’s first female train operators and a commitment from the Port of Baku to boost female employment from 8% to 20%. 🔹 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿: The Equal Aqua Platform (http://wrld.bg/nO8B50VcOuk) is transforming gender representation in water jobs, increasing female engineers by 26% and women managers by 21%. In Cambodia and Peru, the number of female engineers has doubled, proving that inclusion drives innovation. 🔹 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗘𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻: The Care Economy Engagement in Indonesia (http://wrld.bg/Oc1y50VcOv3) is designing childcare and parental leave reforms to promote women’s workforce participation. With a new government partnership, this initiative is shaping long-term policies to support millions of women and families.  This knowledge work and engagements are providing countries with scalable solutions to unlock women and girls’ economic opportunities and are already making a difference. Let’s continue building a better future for all!  #InternationalWomensDay Mamta Murthi, Hana Brixi, Nathalie Akon, The World Bank

Today, on International Women’s Day, we are reminded of the promises world leaders made 30 years ago in Beijing to deliver rights, equality and empowerment #ForAllWomenAndGirls A key part of realizing these promises is ensuring a just and equitable energy transition. Sustainable energy and gender equality are deeply intertwined, yet key challenges persist in advancing both: ➡️ Energy poverty goes beyond being an infrastructure issue - it is a gendered crisis. On average, women and girls in Africa spend 50 hours a week collecting firewood, water and cooking – time that could be spent on education, improving livelihoods and health.🌐 ➡️ Women are more than energy consumers – they are agents of change as energy producers, innovators and decision makers. 🙏 While the benefits of an inclusive and diverse workforce are clear, the gender divide in the energy sector persists. Women make up only 20% of the energy workforce, despite making up 40% of workers globally. Women-led startups receive less than 3% of energy investment capital. Investing in women-led initiatives and empowering women as leaders in the energy sector can drive solutions for the just transition. ⚡️ 2025 is a critical year for the gender-energy nexus. Milestones including CSW69 and COP30 present key moments for accelerated action. While #SDG7 is one of only six SDGs without gender-specific indicators, this should be no excuse not to scale up action towards achieving a gender-responsive just transition! Now is the time to invest in women-led energy initiatives, advocate for gender-responsive energy policies, and support women’s leadership in the energy sector. Not just on #IWD, but every day. #SustainableEnergy #GenderEquality #IWD2025 #CSW69

This International Women’s Day, let’s all take action to advance women’s economic participation and empower women everywhere to earn and control their own money. When women gain equal access to the workforce, the economy, and the technology that drives modern industries, we don’t just close gender gaps—we drive progress for everyone. Agriculture is a great example of where action is needed. In middle- and low-income countries, agriculture is often the primary source of income for women—women constitute 66% of Africa’s agricultural workforce and 71% of Asia’s farm workers. But despite the essential role that women play in food production, their growth is stifled by steep barriers including limited access to land, credit, and leadership opportunities. In 2018, only 37 out of 161 countries granted women equal land rights. And as recently as 2023, just 26% of CEOs in food systems organizations were women from low-income countries.   These inequalities don’t just hold women and girls back—they hold communities and countries back. With rising rates of hunger and malnutrition around the globe, supporting women in food and agriculture can spark transformative economic and social change. A recent UN report found that increasing female participation and leadership could add nearly $1 trillion to the global economy and reduce food insecurity by two percent—the equivalent of at least 45 million people who go hungry today having enough to eat.  To break these barriers—in both agriculture and other industries—leaders across public and private sectors must invest intentionally must take a holistic approach, investing intentionally in women and what they need for success. This includes expanding access to capital and investing in affordable, high-quality childcare options so the care burden no longer falls predominately on women.  Learn more about the incredible women lifting up their families and communities in the Gates Foundation’s "Greater Than the Sum" series: https://lnkd.in/ee-T4zZH #IWD2025 

🚀 Accelerating Action for Women Progress isn’t passive. It’s intentional. “Diversity” and “equity” have become trigger words—but why? Why are we still talking about equity as if it’s the ceiling when it should be the floor? The data is clear: Women-led companies outperform, gender-balanced teams drive stronger results, and economies grow when women succeed. So why are we still fighting for just 50% representation? If gender equity is seen as a “threat,” what does that say about the system we’re protecting? Instead of pushing back on progress, let’s push forward for #prosperity. 🔹 Economic Prosperity for All ✅ Unlock a $3.1 trillion growth opportunity Women’s workforce participation, wage equality, and leadership representation could add trillions to the economy (Katica Roy). But … ⏩The global gender wage gap remains at 11.4%. ⏩Women hold only 34% of management roles. ⏩57.5% of women in the U.S. participate in the workforce (while many also work tirelessly at home!). ✅ Increase access to capital & entrepreneurship ⏩Women-owned businesses make up 39% of all U.S. businesses, employ 12.2M workers, and generate $2.7T in revenue (Wells Fargo, 2025). ⏩Women-led startups receive less than 3% of VC funding—even though they outperform by 63% (First Round Capital). 🔹Better Policy & Governance for All ✅ Get more female representation in government Gender-balanced governments pass stronger policies in healthcare, education, and family support (UN). Yet, in the U.S.: ⏩26% of Senators are women ⏩28% of House members are women ⏩Only 13 female Governors out of 50 states ✅ Stronger governance & financial results ⏩Companies with more women in leadership see 25% higher profitability (McKinsey). ⏩Women hold 29% of board seats across Russell 3000 companies and 30% of Fortune 500 board seats (Credit Suisse, WEP). 🔹 Not a Zero-Sum Game—It’s a Win for All ✅ Unlock untapped talent & drive shared prosperity: ⏩In 2024, 419 women were appointed to Russell 3000 boards (26%). 87.9% of those seats were newly added, not replacements. ⏩Industries like healthcare, manufacturing, and energy face labor shortages, and women can help fill these gaps. As we celebrate #WomensHistoryMonth and #InternationalWomensDay, let’s remember: if our systems truly supported a #merit-based society, women would already be equally represented in government, leadership, the workforce, and economic opportunity. Let’s work together to #AccelerateAction. #womeninleadership, #womeninventurecapital, #womenintechnology, #womenonboards, #meritocracy #representation #economicprosperity

⛽Financial Inclusion Fueling Women's Economic Empowerment in Mozambique 🏦 Having access to a savings account, a credit line, or digital financial services is a reality mostly out of reach for millions of women in the global south. @TechnoServe's approach? Build strategic partnerships with local financial institutions - like M-Pesa and AfricaWorks - to bridge this gap. By conducting market research, offering tailored training, and support for designing gender-focused financial products, our Women in Business program in Mozambique created mutual benefits for women and the financial sector alike. 📣 Hear directly from Isabel, a local shop owner who, as a result of WIN’s work with AfricaWorks, accessed a credit line, adopted mobile money and electronic banking, and immediately benefited from being integrated into the financial system by diversifying and growing her business. What’s the impact of investing in financial inclusion for women? Numbers from WIN make the case: ⭐ M-Pesa, a mobile financial service provider, experienced a remarkable increase in its user base in Mozambique, growing from 10,000 to 110,000, 46% of whom are women. ⭐ An impressive 71% of women participating in M-Pesa’s digital financial savings solution “Xitique” saved more, thanks to a platform redesign that incorporated gender considerations. This redesign, inspired by @TechnoServe's recommendations, was undertaken by the partner financial institution. ⭐ 56% of these women reinvested their savings back into their businesses, and 79% of the women who reinvested in their businesses experienced a growth in income. ⭐ Finally, with improved access to and use of financial services, 4,136 customers (62% women) across WIN’s partnerships with financial service providers indicated that they had more time to spend in their businesses, with their families, or doing other activities. Investing in the financial inclusion of women is not only about progress; it's about mobilizing a systemic transformation that embraces women as customers, entrepreneurs, providers, and ultimately agents of change. #InvestInWomen #TechnoServe #IWD #InspireInclusion #IWD24

In recognition of International Women’s Day 2025, I spoke with Lina Al Qaddoumi, Senior Manager of Gender Equality at the United Nations Global Compact, about the progress made in advancing gender equality and the critical actions business leaders must take to drive further change. The evidence is clear: gender equality is good for business. Companies with more women in leadership are more sustainable, resilient and innovative. Closing the gender pay gap alone could boost the global economy by $7 trillion. Yet, progress remains too slow and uneven. Women hold just 8 per cent of board chair roles, 5 per cent of CEO positions and 12 per cent of CFO roles across G20 markets. And at the current pace, it will take 169 years for women to achieve full economic participation. The theme of International Women’s Day 2025—For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment—calls for a more inclusive and equitable future. To unlock opportunities, businesses must: - Commit to equal representation at all levels (Forward Faster Gender Equality Target 1) - Ensure equal pay for work of equal value (Forward Faster Gender Equality Target 2) - Invest in programmes that create economic and educational opportunities - Develop male allies who champion gender equality in the workplace As we mark 80 years of the UN, 30 years since the Beijing Declaration & Platform for Action, 25 years of the UN Global Compact and 15 years of the Women’s Empowerment Principles, we reflect on how far we have come—and how much more we must do. Join us in driving progress #ForwardFaster on Gender Equality. https://lnkd.in/eD6EKK6f #ForAllWomenAndGirls #GenderEquality #IWD2025

Sustainability isn't just about the environment, but it also includes financial challenges that disproportionately affect women, says Nadia Boumeziout, head of sustainability and information governance for the Middle East at Zurich Insurance. She highlights that this isn’t just a financial gap – it’s a barrier to equality, opportunity, and sustainable development. When women gain financial access, the impact is transformative, as they invest in their families, communities, and long-term economic growth. To address this, she outlines three key steps: expanding access to financial services, prioritizing financial literacy programs, and creating policies that meet women's needs. Watch her video below and share your thoughts on strengthening financial inclusion. #IWD2025