Constructing a Shared Useful resource for the Sector

Creator: Sam Mendelson, e-MFP GLI Motion Group Lead.

Over the previous decade, gender lens investing (GLI) has develop into a broadly embraced idea throughout the event finance ecosystem. It has develop into embedded in world frameworks, supported by donor initiatives, and superior via vital coalitions and requirements – from the 2X Standards and Equilo’s diagnostics instruments to the Ladies’s Empowerment Ideas, Professional Mujer’s Gender Data Lab, and the Cerise+SPTF SPI5 Full framework. But for most of the monetary service suppliers (FSPs), traders, and technical help organisations working in inclusive finance (notably on the area degree) GLI stays a conceptually resonant however virtually elusive aim: what’s it for, how is it achieved, and what’s there to assist clarify it?

In early 2025, after in depth consultations with members of the e-MFP GLI Motion Group (GLI AG), the e-MFP Secretariat made the choice to amend the AG’s construction and plans. Beneath this new part, e-MFP is main a two-year, tightly scoped plan of actions (2025–2026) aimed toward filling two of essentially the most urgent and actionable gaps in GLI practice: 1. The absence of a curated, user-friendly, filterable useful resource portal tailor-made to completely different stakeholder teams; and a pair of. The shortage of visibility and peer sharing round how GLI is definitely being applied in follow.

To develop the useful resource portal, which we’ve heard from members and stakeholders can be so worthwhile, we’re additionally thrilled to welcome the consultants who will probably be main the primary a part of this work: Katie Tavenner and Carlos Quiros of QLands, who will probably be supported throughout the mapping and engagement part by Jenny Morgan, a particularly skilled gender finance guide and facilitator (and former co-lead of FinEquity). The consultants, and Fernando Naranjo and I from e-MFP, are grateful to be supported by a improbable seven-person Advisory Committee of Motion Group  members.

Members informed us they didn’t need one other generic library of instruments. They wished one thing sensible and annotated with clear value-add: a portal that’s filterable by stakeholder kind (whether or not you’re an FSP, an investor, a market builder, or a TA supplier); that helps you understand which instruments to make use of at what stage; that offers you real-world examples of how others have utilized a gender lens – and what it meant in follow. We want to transfer from data overload to curated steerage.

As I launched above, the centrepiece of the GLI AG’s 2025 workplan is the GLI Useful resource Portal – a web based, filterable, evolving platform that permits stakeholders throughout the inclusive finance ecosystem to:

• Determine related instruments tailor-made to their position, wants, and degree of expertise;

• Be taught from real-world case research of how others have utilized GLI ideas in follow;

• Entry curated/annotated steerage supplies (not simply each instrument ever created); and

• Keep knowledgeable about upcoming occasions, webinars, and peer-learning alternatives

The portal will construct on and hook up with present platforms or websites – amongst them 2X, FinEquity’s useful resource information, the Professional Mujer Gender Data Lab’s Gender Platform, CERISE+SPTF’s personal GLI Working Group  – and lots of others. We wish it to develop into a trusted one-stop-shop for busy practitioners trying to get oriented, go deeper, or implement one thing new.

The second core exercise is a light-weight content material stream to showcase what GLI seems like in follow—warts and all. Via brief blogs, mini case research, and occasional webinars, AG members can have the chance to share their experiences: how they’ve navigated management buy-in, used (or tailored) diagnostics instruments, built-in sex-disaggregated information, or designed merchandise with gender in thoughts.

There’s a clear urge for food for this sort of content material. Members have informed us they wish to hear from their friends and companions. They wish to perceive not simply why GLI is vital, however how it’s applied, measured, refined.  They usually wish to know what GLI seems like for establishments like theirs – working with restricted budgets, numerous consumer teams, and beneath actual operational constraints.

This content material will probably be printed partially right here on the e-MFP weblog, however we’ll welcome and solicit case research, interviews and different content material that’s core to this AG’s objective. All contributions will probably be voluntary, and members can both suggest content material themselves or reply to direct outreach. 

The mapping and useful resource tagging course of has now begun, upfront of a gathering with the Advisory Committee in September to current some preliminary concepts and collect suggestions. There will probably be a GLI AG session throughout e-MFP’s annual occasion in November the place it’s anticipated an early mock-up of the Portal will probably be offered, and the consultants and sure AG members will probably be accessible to share progress and reply questions. It’s hoped that the Portal will probably be learn for beta testing in late Q1 2026, and for ultimate completion and launch in Q2. After this, the portal will profit from common devoted upkeep and monitoring to make sure it stays up to date and worthwhile.

If you’re a member of e-MFP or concerned in GLI work (nevertheless superior or exploratory) we welcome your enter. The design and refinement of this Portal will probably be collaborative, and we hope to learn from e-MFP’s nice community to optimise its worth.

• Do you’ve got a instrument, diagnostic useful resource, or guidelines that your crew finds helpful? Be at liberty to share it for potential inclusion within the portal.

• Have you ever applied a gender-smart intervention – whether or not efficiently or not? Please take into account writing a brief weblog or case be aware to assist others be taught.

• Are you prepared to contribute financially to help the portal in 2026?We’re open to co-funding alternatives in change for branding visibility and thought management roles.

Because of everybody who has been concerned in getting this course of to the place it’s, and please get in contact if in case you have concepts or questions.

Sam Mendelson is Monetary Inclusion Specialist at e-MFP and is the e-MFP lead for the Gender Lens Investing and WASH Motion Teams.