G-SEARCh: Building Evidence for Gender Lens Investing
Overview
The Gender-Smart Enterprise Assistance Research Coalition (G-SEARCh), comprised of six like-minded impact investors: AlphaMundi Foundation, Acumen, SEAF, Root Capital, AHL Venture Partners, and Shell Foundation, collaborated to help scale purpose-driven businesses and gender lens impact investing towards sustainable and inclusive economies. G-SEARCh believed that gender-diverse teams and company operations led to better financial and social outcomes and strived to build the evidence and a strong business case for investing with a gender lens.
As part of this effort, the William Davidson Institute’s (WDI) Performance Measurement and Improvement team developed and executed a robust research plan to measure the changes in the financial and social performance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that received gender-lens investments and incorporated gender-smart activities across their business processes. For this research, WDI investigated the outcomes of gender-smart technical assistance (TA) provided to SMEs, using interviews and surveys to gather data with the additional goal of strengthening these TA interventions to generate further impact. WDI also investigated the effectiveness of different approaches and tools used by the G-SEARCh consortium’s members to incorporate gender-smart practices across 21 SMEs in different regions. The research also collated existing data from investors, SMEs, and implementing partners. Deep dives on a select group of SMEs collected data on a key target audience to assess the potential outcomes of gender-lens investment and TA. WDI worked closely with G-SEARCh and other stakeholders in the sector to develop a gender-lens investment toolkit and case studies to illustrate various interventions and analyses, culminating in a report summarizing key findings.
This research provides knowledge and lessons to SMEs as they seek to strengthen inclusivity and gender equity and to impact investors as they allocate resources to gender-smart interventions to ensure impact investing can be a force for gender transformation.
Products:
- Executive summary and report: Our final report documents the business and social outcomes of gender-smart TA activities and the costs involved. The report also shares lessons to strengthen the design and implementation of such engagements and concludes with a call to action for investors and funders.
- Case studies: Our short case studies highlight the business and social outcomes of different gender-smart TA activities implemented in five companies.
- G-SEARCh tested tools & approaches for gender lens investing: Our how-to guide shares tools and approaches used by the G-SEARCh consortium to design and implement gender-smart TA engagements for SMEs.
- Social and financial key performance indicators: Our indicator bank shares suggested indicators to measure the success of gender-smart TA activities along with guidance on how to select them.
- The G-SEARCh toolkit: Our case study methodology and associated interview protocols provide information on our research design and questions asked to key stakeholders.
- Blog post: Our short Next Billion blog post provides a summary of the benefits and costs of gender-smart TA activities.
We’d love to hear your feedback or answer any questions about these resources; please contact Yaquta Fatehi at <WDI-PerformanceMeasurement@umich.edu>
Consortium Members:
We are grateful for the support from our partners:
Collaborating Partner:
