The 2023 Annual Members Meeting of 2X Global will see twice as many participants as its 2022 precursor, setting the stage for a major, cross-sectoral convening of power players and stakeholders in gender finance.
Nearly 250 representatives of development finance institutions, pension funds, family offices, foundations, philanthropy and donor agencies, investment banks and other industry stakeholders will gather in Luxembourg’s capital on 28-29 September for the Meeting, co-hosted this year by the European Investment Bank (EIB).
This will be the first Annual Members Meeting held under the banner of 2X Global since it was formed from the merger of 2X Collaborative and GenderSmart in January 2023. The previous meeting was held under the auspices of 2X Collaborative.
European Investment Bank Vice-President Thomas Östros said: “Because we thought it was essential to advance gender lens investment with a sound common standard, the European Investment Bank was the first multilateral development bank to formally adopt the 2X criteria. The remarkable expansion of 2X Global demonstrates the importance of gender finance to a wide range of financial actors and the power of our collective influence. I am pleased to see that the EIB is hosting the 2X Global 2023 Annual Members Meeting, which I am sure will be very productive”.
This year’s Meeting, centred around the theme of Stepping Up Systemic Shifts, will be a forum for solution-oriented dialogues intended to surface actions and policies that can transform the finance system and make it more gender-smart and inclusive.
Chief Executive Officer of 2X Global Jessica Espinoza said the increased numbers reflected the burgeoning interest in and tremendous energy around the field of gender lens investing.
“More and more, investors are seeing the opportunities in gender finance and there’s a growing recognition of just how necessary it is. We can’t achieve greater prosperity and economic and social mobility if we don’t truly unlock the financial potential of half the planet.
The equity dividend is huge and benefits us all, which is why in 2023 we’ve seen our membership increase to nearly 150 as more investors and investment service providers join our mission to scale up gender finance.”
A highlight of Day 1 of the Meeting will be the keynote interview ‘Engendering the Evolution of Sustainable Finance’, which will examine efforts underway to mainstream gender in finance in government, development finance and private market spaces. The high-level conversation will be opened by Luxembourg Finance Minister Yuriko Backes and will feature EIB Secretary General Barbara Balke, Kuramo Capital CEO Wale Adeosun, and Head of Investments at the Visa Foundation Najada Kumbuli.
Other sessions will present insights from experts in the field and explore gender lens investing standards, digital and financial inclusion initiatives, gender data and gender bonds, alongside thematic conversations on the care economy, diversity and climate.
The 2X Global Annual Members Meeting is a member exclusive event, with participation by registration only.
Background information
About the EIB
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union and is owned by the EU Member States. It makes long-term finance available for sound investment in order to contribute towards EU policy goals both in Europe and beyond, including the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Set up at the beginning of 2022, EIB Global is the EIB Group’s new specialised arm dedicated to increasing the impact of international partnerships and development finance. It is designed to foster strong, focused partnership within Team Europe, alongside fellow development finance institutions and civil society.
To improve the impact of its activities on women and girls, the EIB has adopted a Strategy on Gender Equality and Women’s Economic Empowerment and a Gender Action Plan with the aim of embedding gender equality and, in particular, women’s economic empowerment in the EIB’s business model covering its lending, blending and advising work within and outside the European Union.
More information on EIB gender equality initiatives
About 2X Global
2X Global is a global membership and field-building organisation for investors, capital providers, and intermediaries working in public and private markets, across both developed and emerging economies. By working together with the full spectrum of investors, capital providers, mobilisers, and influencers, we will help shape the market on a whole new level, ultimately transforming systems of finance through the gender-smart deployment of capital across asset classes and markets.
2X Global is the new name for two former leaders in the field: GenderSmart and 2X Collaborative, whose respective field building, and membership clout have helped to catalyse billions of gender-smart investing dollars since 2018.