15 July 2020

Mapping gender risks and opportunities for investors in Africa and South Asia

At CDC we are committed to advancing gender equality in our investments. To ensure the way we invest helps to strengthen women’s economic empowerment, for each of our investments we identify and address gender-related risks and opportunities through environmental and social (E&S) due diligence and portfolio monitoring.

To support our work and that of other investors, our new guidance note Mapping gender risks and opportunities for investors in Africa and South Asia identifies key gender-related risks and opportunities under the International Finance Corporation (IFC) Performance Standards. The guidance focuses on Africa and South Asia, where we invest, and also focuses on CDC’s priority sectors: financial services, infrastructure, manufacturing, food and agriculture, construction and real estate, healthcare and education. This document aims to highlight the most important risks to women and girls and provides a practical tool to help environmental, social and governance (ESG) specialists prioritise risk issues during due diligence.