Criterion Institute

For many survivors of gender-based violence (GBV), financial control and debt coercion are part of the abuse. Additionally, crises—whether personal or systemic—can trap individuals in cycles of economic dependence, making it difficult to escape or recover from violence. Strict repayment timelines imposed by financial institutions often compound this hardship, leading to defaults, stress, and reduced trust in financial systems. We’ve seen some responsive examples from financial institutions that demonstrate a more compassionate approach for customers facing #GBV: - Some banks defer loan or credit card repayments for six months for individuals in crisis. - National Australian Bank’s **NAB Assist** program provided hardship support to customers experiencing financial difficulties, linking them to relevant services and giving them time to stabilize their finances. These approaches not only offer vital breathing space for those facing crises but also reduce the likelihood of default. Compassionate banking doesn’t just benefit individuals. Programs like NAB Assist saved $100 million in reduced defaults during its first year and $200 million in its second. These results prove that treating customers with humanity can drive long-term financial stability and trust. We've linked to the case study in the comments below, and you can explore more frameworks, case studies and tools in the GBV investor curriculum: link in the comments. #GBV #16Days #genderlensinvesting #csw69 #genderfinance UN Women Joy Anderson Pro Mujer Gender and Development Network Women in Social Finance

Cultural norms and beliefs often sustain gender-based violence, and addressing these requires systemic change at all levels. Finance can play a transformative role by funding programs that challenge harmful stereotypes, support gender equality education, and promote cultural shifts. Criterion Institute leverages financial systems to fund education and advocacy efforts that address the root causes of GBV. By engaging investors around #genderlensinvesting, Criterion channels resources into initiatives like public awareness campaigns, gender equality curricula, and community-led programs that foster cultural transformation. Previous collaborations with organizations such as the Novo Foundation and UN Women have helped align capital with efforts to disrupt harmful norms and create lasting change. Investing in education and cultural change isn’t just impactful—it’s essential to dismantling systems that perpetuate violence. Let’s work together to direct financial resources toward building a more equitable future. #16days #ReimagineFinance #GenderEquity #ImpactInvesting #GenderBasedViolence #csw69 #Beijing30

Integrating GBV Concerns into Investment Strategies Gender-based violence is often not considered as part of risk assessments in investment strategies, even though its impact on communities, businesses, and economies is profound. By integrating #GBV as a material risk into investment and due diligence processes, we can start to shift financial practices toward supporting gender equality. This includes financing gender-responsive companies and ensuring investments align with long-term social justice goals. Incorporating a GBV lens into financial decision-making not only creates safer workplaces and communities but also reduces systemic risks. If you're an investor who would like to understand the risks and opportunities of integrating a GBV lens in your investments, join us on on December 3 for a free online Workshop on using finance to address gender-based violence. #16days #ReimagineFinance #GenderEquity #ImpactInvesting #GenderBasedViolence #csw69 #Beijing30 #genderlensinvesting UN Women Pro Mujer Gender Fair: A Public Benefit Corporation Patricia Mathias Tia Subramanian European Institute for Gender Equality https://lnkd.in/eKMYQg2F

Integrating GBV Concerns into Investment Strategies Gender-based violence is often not considered as part of risk assessments in investment strategies, even though its impact on communities, businesses, and economies is profound. By integrating #GBV as a material risk into investment and due diligence processes, we can start to shift financial practices toward supporting gender equality. This includes financing gender-responsive companies and ensuring investments align with long-term social justice goals. Incorporating a GBV lens into financial decision-making not only creates safer workplaces and communities but also reduces systemic risks. If you're an investor who would like to understand the risks and opportunities of integrating a GBV lens in your investments, join us on on December 3 for a free online Workshop on using finance to address gender-based violence. #16days #ReimagineFinance #GenderEquity #ImpactInvesting #GenderBasedViolence #csw69 #Beijing30 #genderlensinvesting UN Women Pro Mujer Gender Fair: A Public Benefit Corporation Patricia Mathias Tia Subramanian European Institute for Gender Equality https://lnkd.in/eKMYQg2F

*Day 2: Investing to Address GBV: What's investable today?* A few insights about what we can invest in today to address #VAWG: - Creative companies: There are many companies today transforming #gender norms. Putting money in these kinds of companies will capture a future where gender-based violence is being reduced - Divest of companies actively contributing to the root causes of #GBV: there are too many companies in the world designed to facilitate violence. - Invest in companies actively addressing addressing gender-based violence: for example, apps that track incidents and speed up reporting time - Look at sectors or industries where there is a high incidence of GBV and invest in companies implementing process innovations in those sectors or companies. For example, in areas with high instances of trafficking, investing in companies aiming to reduce trafficking  - Finally, because GBV is caused by inequality and often exacerbated by economic inequality, investing in companies that shift women and gender-diverse minorities' economic strength, or increase #education or #healthcare can all curb the incidents of violence. #16days #ReimagineFinance #GenderEquity #ImpactInvesting #GenderBasedViolence #csw69 #Beijing30

Today is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and the first day of the UN Women UNiTE campaign to end #VAWG. Criterion Institute has spent over seven years working to shed light on the potential of finance as a tool in the fight to end violence and address #GBV (it is a core pillar in our strategic plan) and over the next #16days we'll be sharing some insights, learnings and examples we've learned along the way. To be clear: this approach can not replace the critical work being done by the movements on the ground. But it is a contributing solution to a complex systemic issue. We'll start with an episode of the podcast, in which Joy takes us on a journey through the intersection of finance and gender-based violence. She presents five strategies that demonstrate how financial systems can contribute to reducing violence against women, and how gender considerations can shape investment decisions. The conversation underscores the potential of finance to drive social change, reflecting on lessons from global activists and advocates. It’s an invitation to rethink what’s possible when structural changes in financial instruments are aligned with gender justice. https://lnkd.in/dCgY3_Pm Ford Foundation Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI) #16days #FinanceForChange #GenderEquity #ImpactInvesting #GenderBasedViolence #csw69 #Beijing30

Some weekend listening from the Criterion #podcast. In the latest episode, Joy reflects on the recent US #election and why #genderlensinvesting is more important than ever in a time of backlash. Government isn't the only source of stability, nor is it the only path to change. https://lnkd.in/dAfZCPCv Joy Anderson Adasina Social Capital Morgan Simon Ruth Shaber, MD Value For Women Ltd. Rachel J. Robasciotti Katharine Im-Jenkins Lisa Witter #gendernorms #socialfinance #equalfutures #impactinvesting #government #privatesector #reimaginefinance #ConvergenceXXI #CriterionInstitute #systemschange

Thank you to everyone who attended Insights and Invitations yesterday - the team were reflected afterwards how nice it is to spend time together in conversation, as a community, and just see each others' faces. Pablo Freund shared some similar reflections about what it means to host Convergence, including some resources by Fabian Pfortmüller (in the comments) for anyone bringing communities together to create social change.   Fabian makes a key distinction between building a network vs nurturing community: “Networks connect; communities care”. He says:  "While we certainly need both — networks and communities — there is a danger in not distinguishing between the type of relationships that actually matter and mere connectivity. In the ongoing trend of “community washing” an increasing number of organizations are saying they offer community, while in fact they are mostly offering another opportunity to connect without depth. Is there a collective cost to that?"   You can read the whole piece at: https://lnkd.in/dCre_Fu2 #systemschange #community #network #socialchange #impact Vicki Saunders (She/Her) Coralus Avary Kent Carey Bohjanen Susie Pan

Looking forward to seeing some of you for our Insights and Invitations events today. Criterion hosts these twice a year, as a way to share what we've learned about creating #systemschange with our partners and invite new folks to get involved in the work. If you've ever been curious about what it is we actually do (beyond host events and publish papers) and why, there is still time to register...happening online at 10am EDT and 7pm EDT. #criterioninstitute #collaboration #innovativefinance #donoragencies #foundations #impactinvesting #csos #equalfutures

Recently, Susie Pan and Pablo Freund reflected on what it might look like to shift investment norms as part of a thriving future market for the translation function, in which gender analysis and local expertise are integrated into investment decisions. This norms change might be sparked by a growing understanding of the good that comes from investing in ways that include everyone, new rules that make it necessary to think about social issues when investing, and more investors wanting to put their money into places that do good for society. Possible norms changes and their drivers include: 💚 Valuing beyond profits: Moving away from a traditional investment focus that centers financial gains at the potential cost of social, environmental, and governance factors. This change is supported by evidence that inclusive investments are both ethically sound and often financially beneficial, coupled with a rising demand for investments that are socially responsible and have a positive impact.  💡 Expanding financial expertise: Financial acumen is being redefined to include the expertise of gender specialists and local community leaders, driven by the observed success of investments that benefit from these diverse perspectives, alongside changes in regulations and industry practices favoring inclusivity.  🤝 Transforming fiduciary duties: The concept of fiduciary responsibility is evolving to routinely incorporate gender insights and local knowledge, signaling a profound shift in the financial sector's social norms.  🌏 Embracing localized investment strategies: There's a shift towards investment approaches that are specifically designed to meet the distinct needs of different communities and regions, encouraged by examples of success in such strategies and a demand for more locally sensitive investment options.  🤰 Prioritizing social factors: There's a concerted effort to systematically factor in social considerations, including gender equality and local insights, into investment analysis and decision-making processes.  📊 Enhancing social impact accountability: There are improvements in the ways we measure, report, and ensure accountability for the social impacts of investments, especially those related to gender equity and benefits to local communities. This is likely to be propelled by new methodologies for #impact assessment, a call for greater transparency from all involved parties, and updates in regulations requiring detailed reporting on social impacts. Can you see glimmers of any of these shifts taking place? If you'd like to do some more thinking about possible futures together, join us at Convergence next February to collectively reimagine the future of #genderlensinvesting. #ConvergenceXXI #reimaginefinance #equalfutures #genderlensinvesting #impactinvesting #socialfinance #criterioninstitute #believeitspossible