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The Ariadne Podcast


Jan 11, 2021

Growing numbers of individuals and institutions with capital to invest want to make a difference in society and a return on their money. This new series of podcasts from Ariadne – the European Funders Network for Social Change and Human Rights takes you through the field of gender lens investing, explaining what it is, why it matters and how you, or your organisation can get started.

This episode looks at why gender lens investing is important for everyone who would like to see a more equitable world. It explores the research that shows that diverse workplaces perform better on nearly every measure than those that lack a gender balance. Such companies and organisations are happier, healthier and more prosperous places. Ariadne member, Suzanne Biegel, who is one of the leading pioneers of Gender Lens Investing and co-founder of the Gender Smart Investing Summit, puts it this way: “We have so much data now that says – whatever metric you want to look at – there’s a high correlation between gender balance and women’s leadership and decreased risk and decreased volatility, which is what investors care about as much as they do about upside and improved performance.

Marvin Owens of Impact Shares, an ethical investment house, says: “More and more investors are not only looking at how their money can do well for them financially, but how their money can also reflect their social cause. This is why the impact shares model is really beginning to take off.”

This series from Ariadne goes on to look at why data is vital and how to extend the same principles to racial justice and LGBTQI. In other episodes we also provide a guide on how to start investing with a gender lens, and look at how upheavals like COVID and Black Lives Matter are changing the possibilities in this growing field.

These podcasts were supported by funds from the European Commission. It is written and presented by Jo Andrews, founder and former director of Ariadne and co-founder of the gender lens data research specialist, Equileap. The podcasts are produced and edited by Bill Taylor of The Lark Rise Partnership.

Ariadne’s Learning Series on Gender Lens Investing was funded by the European Union’s Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme (2014-2020). Project title: INGENDER. Project number: 831633.

The content of this podcast series represents the views of the author only and is his/her sole responsibility. The European Commission does not accept any responsibility for use that may be made of the information it contains.