Ilu Women’s Empowerment Program

Promoting Gender Smart Investing and Business Practices

Deetken Impact and Pro Mujer, joint venture partners in the Ilu Women’s Empowerment Fund, have launched a program to further advance gender equality and gender smart business practices in Latin America and the Caribbean. 

Ilu Women’s Empowerment Program

With the support of the USAID Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Hub program, the Ilu Fund developed the Ilu Women’s Empowerment Program to advance gender equality in Latin America and the Caribbean. The program addressed key obstacles to the adoption of gender-smart investing and business practices in the region through a three-pronged approach:

 

  • Incremental Capital
  • Technical Assistance
  • Knowledge Dissemination and Advocacy

Additional capital towards women’s empowerment post COVID-19

Latin America and the Caribbean is the region hardest hit by the global pandemic, with women disproportionately affected. As companies continue to weather these shocks and prepare for the recovery, the need for capital continues to grow.

Through blended finance capital that included a first-loss tranche and added security for investors, Ilu Fund was expanded to provide much needed funding to new and existing portfolio companies in the region, and assist in the regional economic recovery. 

Learn more about our approach and some of the companies where we invest here.

Gender Smart Technical  Assistance

The Ilu Fund team assisted portfolio companies in strengthening their gender smart business practices through a tailored acceleration and engagement program. Our goal was to support companies to improve business performance, attract more capital from Gender Lens Investing (GLI) and non-GLI investors, and advance gender equality and opportunities for women in the communities where they operate. 

Each technical assistance project was customized to the needs and priorities of the organization, in alignment with one of five project streams: 

  • Inclusive Governance
  • Women in Leadership
  • Gender Smart Information Systems 
  • Gender Smart Products and Marketing
  • Gender Sensitive Community Engagement

Knowledge Dissemination and Advocacy to Expand the GLI Ecosystem

In addition to directly supporting companies to become gender leaders, we supported the broader adoption of gender smart business practices through the demonstration of the business case, communication of practical advice and strategies to drive change, and sharing outcomes with an open source toolbox, regional workshops, and case studies. 

In parallel, we contributed to the growth of the GLI ecosystem through a series of investor education events, highlighting the fact that investing in women is a smart investment strategy that reduces portfolio risk and enhances portfolio return through the example of the Ilu Fund. Because women are key drivers of economic prosperity and equality, taking gender criteria into account when making investment decisions amplifies the impact of investment on poverty reduction, economic growth and business performance.

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Deetken Impact

Suite 500 – 210 West Broadway
Vancouver, BC V5Y 3W2

+1 (604) 731-4424 ext. 110

impact@deetken.com

Pro Mujer

1129 Northern Blvd #404
Manhasset, NY 11030

+1 (646) 626-7000

communications@promujer.org