Pathways to Growth: Gender-smart business actions that work

The business case for gender inclusion is clear: When companies build gender-diverse teams, promote women to positions of leadership, and focus on women customers, it leads to increased profitability, higher sales, and multiple other commercial benefits.

Despite the strong evidence base, few examples and case studies show how change happens for early-stage companies and what types of gender interventions can be effective in early-stage contexts. This is understandable given the myriad challenges that startups face, yet until now, early-stage companies have had limited cases to draw on, which made it hard for investors and funders to encourage or suggest gender-inclusive practices in the early days of business building.

This report seeks to fill this gap by adding multiple concrete and relatable examples to the public domain in three parts:

• Part 1, “Investing in equity,” offers a detailed account of the journey that one investor, Acumen, has embarked on to address gender inclusion internally and across its portfolio.
• Part 2, “Pathways toward growth and impact,” by Value for Women, shares case studies and actionable pathways for early-stage companies to take decisive action to improve gender equality.
• Part 3, “Beyond counting women,” documents the work of 60 Decibels and Acumen to capture and utilize gender-based data and insights by surveying customers from 2020 to 2024.

There is more to learn and act on when it comes to gender-smart actions that work. For investors or companies new to this journey please join Acumen and Value for Women, and the enterprises driving this movement in the work of building inclusive and thriving economies. Read the full report here.

Acknowledgments

This report was co-authored by Acumen and Value for Women. 60 Decibels was a key partner for impact measurement. The findings in this report are based on lessons from Acumen’s Promoting Inclusion Through Leadership and Investment project. The Pan-Africa and Regional Development Division at Global Affairs Canada generously supported both the project and this report.