Advancing Women’s Economic Opportunities Through Gender Lens Investing

Women play a central role in agricultural value chains as entrepreneurs, farmers, and workers, yet they continue to face persistent barriers to accessing finance and markets. Women-owned agri-SMEs are particularly underserved, reflecting structural constraints related to collateral, loan sizes, and lending processes.

For the first time in the sector, standardized loan-level data across multiple financial institutions has enabled us to compare loan performance by borrower profile. This data shows that loans to women-owned agri-SMEs are performing better than comparable loans to men-owned firms. We have learned that well-designed incentives paired with targeted demand-side support can shift lender behavior. This emerging business case signals that gender inclusion in agri-SME finance is not only the right thing to do, but also an attractive growth opportunity for commercial financial institutions.