Taking small steps together: incorporating a gender lens approach for small and growing businesses - a case study

Through laws and everyday practices, formal and informal institutions exert gendered effects that increase inequalities between women and men. Impact investing firms can act as catalysts for shifting informal norms and customs that negatively affect women as entrepreneurs, employees, and suppliers. Gender lens investing (GLI) plays a critical role in guiding investments with the objective of women's empowerment and more equitable workplaces and communities. Although various GLI metrics and screening tools exist, little research has examined how small impact investment firms can increase gender inclusive policies and practices in existing portfolios of social enterprises led by mixed gender founding teams. This paper presents a case study that chronicles the initial steps taken by NESsT, a small impact investing firm, in piloting gender inclusive policies and practices in its portfolio companies and internal operations. We discuss the pilot results, findings, key takeaways, and recommendations for integrating GLI into investment portfolios.