Jessica Espinoza Trujano, Gender Finance Social Impact Pioneers

Whether you have been working on the topic of gender investing deeply for years or you are new to the idea. Whether you are an investor, entrepreneur, development finance institution or corporate – take a listen to Jessica Espinoza Trujano.

Jessica has a decade of experience in banking, with a particular focus on emerging and frontier markets. Now she part of the German international development investment team at DEG, she is studying for her PhD in gender lens investing, and she is also the Chair for the 2x Challenge.

During our conversation Jessica lays out the case for investing with an eye on gender, why it pays and how to do it. Jessica shared her advice on how take embed a gender lens throughout your organisations – whether women on boards, female leaders, promotion of women through the business, gender pay gap and beyond.


Jessica shines a light on how to get internal buy in and lasting impact, before sharing the new announcement from the 2x Challenge – they are launching a new industry body and everyone is welcome.

There is an increasing body of evidence, toolkits and data, take a look at the links below to access them for yourself:

• Business Fights Poverty Gender Summit Learning Resources (scroll half way down the page): https://businessfightspoverty.org/articles/gender-summit-2020/
• Summary of the ripple effects:
https://www.deginvest.de/DEG-Documents-in-English/About-us/What-is-our-impact/DEG_Gender-Lens-Investing-Paper_Final.pdf
• IFC Report on the Business Case in Private Equity / Venture Capital:
https://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/topics_ext_content/ifc_external_corporate_site/gender+at+ifc/resources/gender-balance-in-emerging-markets
• CDC- IFC Fund manager’s guide to gender-smart investing:https://www.cdcgroup.com/en/news-insight/insight/articles/moving-the-dial-on-gender-smart-investing-why-our-new-guide-focusses-on-the-how/ and https://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/topics_ext_content/ifc_external_corporate_site/gender+at+ifc/resources/gender+smart+investing+guide
• Business Case Data from Financial Institutions:
https://financialallianceforwomen.org
• Women Deliver Infographics:
https://womendeliver.org/infographics/

2X Framework & Impact/Business Case:

• Recent EDFI Journal Article: https://issuu.com/objectif-developpement/docs/pro-revue_20h-s-finance_20publique-uk

Gender Smart Investing Journeys:

• Jen Braswell, CDC : https://www.gendersmartinvesting.com/gendersmart-blog/2020/10/my-gender-smart-investing-journey-jen-braswell-cdc

• Jessica Espinoza, DEG: https://www.gendersmartinvesting.com/gendersmart-blog/2020/9/29/my-gender-smart-investing-journey-jessica-espinoza-deg

2X Investment Examples:

https://www.2xchallenge.org/stories

Other resources:
• COVID-19 and Gender Equality: Six Actions for the Private Sector. This is a new IFC guidance note for the private sector on how to prevent gender gaps from widening during COVID-19.
• IFC/We-Fi Case Study on Gender-lens investing with Sarmayacar, a VC in Pakistan
• IFC and FMO’s study on non-financial services to women and the benefits for both the female entrepreneurs as well as the financial institution:
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkfgw6UbyFk&t=4s
• EIB SheInvest for Africa:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dWvMjTX2xDtzRS3rnAEDns_H6KQt_Ag9/view
• EIB 2X Challenge video: https://www.eib.org/en/videos/challenge-invest-in-women-invest-in-the-world