New 2X Challenge Announces US$20 Billion Target for Investments for Women

I&P is proud to be a member of 2X Global and one of the first private investors to commit to promote and finance women’s economic empowerment under the new edition of the 2X Challenge, 2024-2027.

Joining forces with DFIs, development players, and fellow private investors, we pledge to showcase best practices in investment choices, support gender-lens investing initiatives, and ensure a strong female representation both externally in our portfolio companies and internally at all levels of management. 

There is still a lot to be done to achieve greater gender diversity in the workforce, but we are convinced that harmonising approaches to impact measurement and creating forums for sharing views and experiences like 2X Global are the major steps forward.

Milestone as Private Sector Players Join DFIs and MDBs for 2X Challenge 2024-2027

A multilateral coalition of public and private sector investors, among which I&P, pledged to invest US$20 billion in women’s economic empowerment over the next three years, under the 2X Challenge.

The announcement came at the close of the G7 Leaders’ Summit in Italy, with the official communiqué affirming support from among the grouping’s development and multilateral finance institutions : 

“Recognising the success of the 2X Challenge, we welcome the new commitment by Development and Multilateral Finance Institutions to invest at least USD 20 billion over three years in gender lens investing, encouraging investments at the nexus of gender and climate. We call upon other public and private actors to join the next 2X Challenge, advancing measurable changes and financing directed to women’s empowerment.”

This is the third edition of the 2X Challenge, which was first launched at the G7 Summit 2018 in Canada, as a commitment from the G7 development finance institutions (DFIs) to mobilise US$3 bn in gender lens investments between 2018 to 2020. 

The first Challenge significantly surpassed that target, raising more than US$11 bn. A new target of US$15 bn was set at the G7 Summit 2021 in the United Kingdom and was also subsequently surpassed with US$16.3 bn raised between 2021 to 2022. As of 2024, more than US$33.6 bn in gender lens investments have been mobilised under the 2X Challenge.

The 2X Challenge 2024-2027 marks the first time that private investors will be a part of the initiative, which has expanded to include the full spectrum of capital providers.

Seven private sector participants have already committed to the 2X Challenge - they are: Deetken Impact, the Global Innovation Fund, Investisseurs & Partenaires (I&P), Developing World Markets (DWM), Advance Global Capital, Global Gender-Smart Fund (GGSF), run by Innpact and Sarona Asset Management.

“I&P is proud to join the 2X Challenge, showcasing our commitment to best practices in investment choices, female entrepreneurship, and gender lens investing. Internally, we maintain a gender-balanced executive committee and investment team, promote women to leadership roles, and ensure strong female representation in public engagements. As active 2X Global community members, we continuously learn and enhance our practices." - Sebastien Boyé, co-CEO of I&P

 Read the full release  

 2X Challenge Fact Sheet 

About 2X Global

2X Global is a membership and field-building organisation focused on unlocking gender-smart capital at scale. It engages the full spectrum of investment actors, capital providers, and intermediaries working in public and private markets, across both developed and emerging economies towards this mission. Through a broad and diverse set of activities 2X activates and engages this global community to advance intersectional investment agendas, scale the field, shift mindsets, and facilitate capital deployment. Learn more at www.2xglobal.org.

About the 2X Challenge

The 2X Challenge was founded by the G7 Development Finance Institutions as a call to action to shift more capital towards investments that empower women in developing countries to access entrepreneurship and leadership opportunities, quality jobs, and products and services that enhance their economic participation. Since then, the flagship initiative has raised gender lens investments totaling US$33.6 Billion. 

70% of I&P porfolio  meets the gender-lens criteria set by 2X Challenge.