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What is ‘gender lens investing’ and why does it matter?

*This article was originally written for our Swiss market, it may contain Swiss references.

By Gender Lens expert and Inyova Yellow Initiator Karina Storinggaard. 

Have you heard of ‘gender lens investing’? Chances are, you haven’t. And that’s okay. But it’s time we change that. If you asked me in an elevator, I might say something like: 

Gender lens investing (GLI) is investing for financial return, while also considering the benefits for women and gender equality. 

In other words: gender lens investing is like grabbing a magnifying glass and inspecting your investment portfolio according to considerations like: 

  1. Which companies are championing gender equality?
  2. What impact do these companies have on the lives of women around the world?
  3. How can this investment achieve attractive returns and put us on a path towards a world with more gender balance?

 

Less talk, more action

Anyone in the gender equality space will nod their heads when I say that a lot of energy, money, time, and frustrating conversations go into making a small step forward.

As a result of this slow moving, round-and-round dynamic, many women and men have sadly grown tired of talking about gender equality. Understandably so. What we need is an actionable solution. And real change. 

This is where GLI comes in. 

 

Voting with your money

GLI is an approach that is simple, hands-on and incredibly powerful. It allows you to put our francs where your values are, while making attractive returns in the process. Think of how much money is traded on the global stock market every single year (around 70 billion US dollars, according to the World Bank). Think of the piles of money, just languishing in Swiss saving accounts, neither generating interest nor impact.

Research shows that every third woman in Switzerland has never invested – think of the positive change that could happen if all those women started investing with a gender lens! 

Gender lens investing matters, because it activates these people to vote with their money. People, who may have been ambivalent towards the stock market or not aware of its empowering possibilities. Gender lens investing adds a purpose, emotions and meaning to a world that is often perceived as rational and calculated.

Last but not least, GLI forces institutions and companies alike to put their practices through the gender lens, learning and uncovering areas to improve.

Gender equality is about balance

Now that we’ve talked about what GLI is – let’s talk about what it is not. It’s not charity and it’s not a product for women. GLI is for everyone who cares about a more equitable world. The best thing about a world with more gender balance is that everyone benefits. 

So, ladies and gentlemen, let’s say it with our wallet and vote for more gender equality. 

Advertising notice: The information and evaluations presented here are an advertising announcement which has not been prepared in accordance with legal provisions promoting the independence of financial analyses and is not subject to any prohibition of trading following the dissemination of financial analyses. The acquisition of this investment involves considerable risks and may lead to the complete loss of the invested assets. Inyova receives an all-inclusive fee of 0.9 - 1.2 & p.a. for its services, depending on the amount of assets under management. The exact calculation can be found at www.inyova.de/en/fees.

Risk notice: All information is only intended to support your independent investment decision and does not represent a recommendation by Inyova. The product information and calculation examples presented do not claim to be complete or correct. Only the specifications in the asset management contract incl. the further legal documents, which are made available to customers of Inyova via the complete customer documentation, are authoritative. Please read the asset management contract and the other client documents carefully before making an investment decision. The following applies to all shares and ETFs: Past performance is no guarantee of future performance. Information on past performance does not permit forecasts for the future. Investments in securities include the risk of a loss in value. Other securities services may achieve different results. The results for individually managed portfolios as well as the different time full stops may differ due to market conditions, different entry times, different portfolio sizes, individual restrictions and the respective composition of the portfolio.

Disclaimer: Past performance of financial markets and instruments is never an indicator of future performance. The statements or information contained in this document do not constitute a recommendation, offer, or solicitation to buy or sell any security or financial instrument. Inyova GmbH assumes no liability whatsoever with regard to the reliability and completeness of the information contained in this article. Liability claims regarding damage caused by the use of any information provided, including any kind of information which is incomplete or incorrect, will therefore be rejected. Furthermore, the statements contained in this document reflect an assessment at the time of publication and are subject to change. References and links to third party websites are outside the responsibility of Inyova GmbH. Any responsibility for such websites is declined.

EU Sustainable Finance Regulation: the terms and categories from this post do not correspond to the terms and categories of the EU Sustainable Finance Regulation. You can find the disclosures and explanations required under the EU Sustainable Finance Regulation at https://inyova.de/en/sustainable-finance-disclosure-regulation..

Karina Storinggaard

Karina Storinggaard

Karina Storinggaard

Karina believes women are the largest untapped potential for sustainable global development, and that it will be women (with the next generation) who will finally make sustainable investment mainstream. She also believes investing in women and gender balanced companies makes perfect financial sense. Realising the financial industry were missing this opportunity, she decided to co-found Think Yellow, a company with the mission to mainstream gender lens investing. Karina is the mother of two, a multi-preneur who was born in Denmark, and lived in the US and Hong Kong before arriving in Switzerland 16 years ago. She holds an MSc in Business Administration from CBS and loves learning.

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