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GENDER EQUALITY BENCHMARKING FRAMEWORKS ORGANIZATION
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Note to Reader: In terms of RENEW’s approach towards gender-lens investing, RENEW does not “screen out” companies that are under consideration for the pipeline based on their gender-smart “scores” or status; rather, RENEW believes that any SME (no matter how bad their baseline score may be) can become a market-leading, gender-smart SME run by a gender-balanced management team if they are: 1) coachable and open to RENEW’s SGS team taking control over key decisions and leading the management team; and 2) are fully willing to work in partnership with the SGS team to implement all components of The GenderSmart Exec’s Program and the SG2X Playbook. As such, it is important that RENEW and other fund managers following this strategy baseline a pipeline company’s gender-smart “score” during the Due Diligence stage, so that a determination can be made about where/how the SGS team can add value (e.g., overhauling a company’s payment structures so that it is implementing gender-equal policies concerning salaries, raises and bonuses). The following externally published scorecards and/or frameworks are well-known standards in the impact investing industry. Small Enterprise Tool SEAF Assistance Fund Gender Equality (SEAF) Scorecard© Manual
Investment/fund managers use this tool to assess the gender equality “score” of pipeline and portfolio companies against several parameters, including pay equity, workforce participation, leadership and governance, professional development, workplace Tool – SEAF GES environment and value chains. SMEs can also Calculation Sheet use this tool to benchmark their performance against these key areas and identify priorities for growth. The Manual includes relevant assessment questions and scoring instructions, as well as example templates that can be used to collect the relevant information during due diligence light.
Note: RENEW prefers and uses this tool and has created an Excel-based Calculation Sheet to accompany the GES Manual. Mennonite Economic The Gender Development Equality Associates (MEDA) Mainstreaming (GEM) Framework
MEDA's GEM Framework includes an extensive assessment that evaluates a company's capacity and performance in gender equality mainstreaming and environmental sustainability across a slew of qualitative questions and
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USE quantitative datapoints, thereby enabling the assessor to identify opportunities for improvement. The Full Assessment instructions start on page 33 of the tool, with the Interview Template starting on page 51 and the quantitative map starting on page 78.
2X Challenge
2X Challenge The 2X Challenge Criteria were developed in Criteria 2018 to help 2X Challenge members identify which transactions could be reported towards the common $3 billion target in investments that benefit women. Since their launch, the criteria have emerged as a go-to standard for gender lens investing for DFIs and other investors. The criteria can be used as gender-lens screening for pipeline companies, to assess an existing portfolio company’s baseline to identify areas of improvement, or to monitor and evaluate an existing portfolio company’s results against agreed upon metrics - the criteria have been harmonized with the GIIN IRIS+ metrics.
The Women's WEPs Gender The WEPs Gender Gap Analysis Tool is a joint Empowerment Gap Analysis Tool project of the UN Global Compact, UN Women Principles and several multi-lateral development banks and donors. The tool is an online assessment that helps companies identify strengths, gaps, and opportunities to improve their performance in the realm of gender equality. The assessment questions are based on real-life company practice, international standards and indicators.