Gender Equality Strategy

FinDev Canada, Canada’s bilateral Development Finance Institution (DFI), was established in 2018 to complement Canada’s range of international development assistance mechanisms and help bridge the financing gap to realize the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). FinDev Canada’s mission is to provide financial solutions to the private sector in developing countries, with an emphasis on reaching businesses that economically empower women, develop local markets, and mitigate climate change. FinDev Canada prioritizes activities in Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, focusing on three sectors: agribusiness, green growth, and financial services. Women’s economic empowerment (see Box 1) is a strategic priority for FinDev Canada, firmly embedded in our Corporate Plan and our Development Impact Framework. This objective is also aligned with Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP) and builds specifically on Action area 3 – Growth that works for everyone. Because women’s economic empowerment is a critical aspect to achieving gender equality (Box 2), it also directly contributes to the SDGs, particularly Goal 5 – Gender equality. This document sets out FinDev Canada’s strategy to promote women’s economic empowerment and gender equality through its investments and operations. It is aligned with, and reinforces, our Corporate Plan, our Gender Equality Policy, our Development Impact Framework, our Investment Strategy, our Technical Assistance Strategy and our Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Assessment Policy.

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