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Minutes  -­‐  Pre-­‐Summit  Workshop  Sankalp  Unconvention  Summit  2014    Investing  In  and  Building  High-­‐Impact  Enterprises  for  Empowering  Women  and  Girls:    An  action  plan  for  gender  lens  investing  and  incubation      Hotel  Renaissance,  Powai,  Mumbai,  India,  9:30am  –  1pm,  9  April  2014      Introduction    The  field  of  gender  lens  investing  believes  in  the  power  of  finance  to  generate  large-­‐scale  social  and  financial  return.  Increasing  women’s  economic  opportunities  and  entrepreneurship  is  widely  recognized  to  contribute  to  per  capital  income  growth,  poverty  reduction  and  sustainable  development.    Yet  with  only  a  year  to  go  considerable  headway  is  still  required  to  accelerate  progress  towards  Millennium  Development  Goal  (MDG)  3  -­‐  the  promotion  of  gender  equality  and  women's  empowerment.    There  is  significant  scope  for  innovative  high  impact  enterprises  to  promote  women’s  economic  empowerment  through  providing  the  opportunity  for  women  to  own  and  lead  their  own  social  enterprise,  generating  positive  livelihood  returns  for  women  employees,  deliberately  considering  organizational  policies  and  practices  that  advance  women’s  economic  empowerment  by  suppliers  (including  producers)  and  distributors,  as  well  as  providing  products  and  services  specifically  for  or  tailored  to  the  needs  and  impact  on  women  and  girls  as  a  consumer  segment.    

Deutsche  Gesellschaft  für  Internationale  Zusammenarbeit  (GIZ),  the  United  States  Agency  for  International  Development  (USAID)  joined  forces  with  support  from  Criterion  Institute,  Deloitte,  Energize  Her  and  Intellecap,  for  a  pre-­‐summit  workshop  at  the  Sankalp  Unconvention  Summit  2014  on  9  April  2014  in  Mumbai  to  explore  how  the  ecosystem  can  unite  to  develop  an  action  plan  on  gender  lens  investing  and  incubation  to  support  building  high  impact  enterprises  that  promote  women  and  girl’s  empowerment?    This  workshop  report  summarizes  the  discussion  from  the  workshop.  

SESSION  1:  

GIZ  Presentation:    Context  setting  for  the  workshop  Stefanie  Bauer  and  Katherine  Miles,  on  behalf  of  GIZ  presented  the  results  to  date  of  a  GIZ  study  exploring  how  the  social  entrepreneurship  ecosystem  can  unite  to  develop  an  action  plan  on  gender  lens  incubation  and  investing  for  enterprises  focused  on  the  low  income  market  segment  in  India?    Based  on  a  consultation  of  gender  and  social  entrepreneurship  experts  in  over  25  organizations  internationally,  they  set  out  an  emerging  a  framework  for  defining  and  recognizing  high  impact  enterprises  that  promote  women  and  girl’s  empowerment.  This    considers  these  enterprises  as  Micro,  Small  and  Medium  Sized  Enterprises  (MSMEs)    with  significant  growth  potential  that  deliver  positive  social  impacts  and  returns  related  to  gender  equality  and  the  empowerment  of  women  and  girls,  while  focusing  on  delivering  products  and  services  to  consumers  at  the  Base  of  the  Pyramid  (BOP).  Moreover,  they  stressed  such  enterprises  can  have  gender  equality  impacts  and  empower  women  (and  girls)  through  the  organizational  leadership  or  management,  at  an  operational  level  through  all  aspects  of  its  business  model  and  also  through  their  product  and  service  impacts  which  may  focus  on  those  that  relate  to  the  biologically  defined  needs  

   

 

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of  a  female,  or  the  socially  constructed  gendered  needs  of  a  women  or  girls.  They  noted  that  there  is  a  business  case  for  gender  diversity  in  the  management  and  workforce  of  organizations  in  terms  of  financial  performance,  innovation,  retention  and  reduced  absenteeism,  as  well  as  the  benefits  from  a  perspective  of  reaching  and  marketing  to  a  consumer  segment  of  women  and  girls.    

It  was  concluded  that  evidence  suggests  that  there  is  a  commercial  advantage  for  those  businesses  that  integrate  a  gender  lens,  and  that  increasing  investor  interest  in  applying  a  gender  criteria  to  their  investment  decision  making  means  that  enterprises  that  do  manage  these  considerations  may  attract  specific  gender  lens  funding.    Nevertheless,  they  noted  there  is  a  need  for  further  aggregated  level  impact  research  to  continue  to  build  the  case  for  gender  lens  incubation  and  investment,  and  a  push  for  the  integration  of  gender  criteria  in  mainstream  incubation  programmes  and  investment  activities,  as  well  as  the  establishment  of  specialist  funds  that  focus  on  enterprises  that  empower  women  and  girls.    

It  was  noted  how  this  workshop  would  contribute  to  the  study  in  terms  of  challenges  and  solutions  facing  these  types  of  organizations,  as  well  as  recommendations  for  the  various  interested  organizations  including  donors,  philanthropic  investors,  incubators,  and  impact  investors  among  others  in  terms  of  supporting  a  field  for  gender  lens  incubation  and  investment.    

Enterprise  Pitches  A  number  of  Indian  based  enterprises  whose  business  models  empower  women  and  girls  presented  their  business  model  in  brief  2  minute  pitches,  in  order  to  illustrate  the  conceptualization  of  the  framework  of  how  enterprises  can  empower  women  and  girls.    Presentations  were  given  by:    

• Menstropedia  –  Tuhin  Paul  and  Aditi  Gupta  • Manndeshi  Bank  –  Poonam  Mane  • Aakar  Innovations  –  Sombodhi  Ghosh  

One  philanthropic  fund,  the  Global  Alliance  for  Clean  Cookstoves  (Stevie  Valdez),  also  presented  how  they  integrate  gender  considerations  into  their  grant  funding  decisions,  and  provided  details  of  their  Women’s  Empowerment  Fund.  

Subgroup  Work  This  part  of  the  workshop  focused  on  the  question  of  what  are  the  challenges  facing  enterprises  that  promote  women  and  girl’s  empowerment?    The  participants    were  split  into  6  subgroups  with  two  groups  each  discussing  one  of  three  case  studies  where  they  focused  on  the  gender  challenges  and  solutions  for  different  types  of  high  impact  enterprise  that  empower  women  and  girls.    

Groups  1  &  2  Subgroup  Facilitators:  Urvashi  Devida  (Thomson  Reuters  Foundation)  &  Sudasana  Kundu  (Partners4Change)  

 

   

 

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Challenges    

Solutions  

• Time  constraints  balancing  home  and  entrepreneurial  commitments    

• Productivity  –time  management.  Does  it  affect  productivity  and  how?    

• Support  services  missing:  Childcare,  and  lack  of  family  support  &  lack  of  public  transportation  

• Lack  of  public  sanitation  suitable  for  women  in  rural  areas  

• Woman’s  role  perceptions  and  expectations  of  a  women’s  role  in  society  which  results  in  questions  on  a  women’s  capacity  +  competency  to  run  a  business.  Plus  a  lack  of  seriousness  of  businesses  run  by  women  

• Access  to  credit  to  scale  up  the  business.  • Peer  group  support  missing.  Are  there  other  

women  entrepreneurs  to  talk  and  discuss  with?  

• The  power  dynamic  of  a  wealthier  women  entering  a  rural  area.    

• In  a  rural  setting,  there  are  more  festivals  

• A  need  for  sensitisation  workshops  with  women  to  provide  a  forum  for  them  to  discuss  these  challenges  with  each  other  and  share  ideas  for    

• Building  support  systems  for  women  entrepreneurs  related  to  child  care  including  at  her  workspace  which  also  caters  to  the  women  working  in  the  business.    

• Women  friendly  private  toilets  • The  involvement  of  men  who  are  associated  

to  women  entrepreneurs  through  sensitization  workshops    

• Financial  literacy  workshops  • Use  women  allies-­‐champions  as  role  models  • Mobile  technology  for  connecting  women  

producers  to  buyers  • Develop  a  system  for  collective  responsibility  

among  women  like  self-­‐help  groups  to  provide  each  other  with  support.    

 

Case  Study  One  

You  are  a  woman  entrepreneur  who  has  recently  set  up  an  enterprise  headquartered  in  Jaipur  that  contracts  with  women  producers  of  traditional  textile  products  in  the  state  of  Rajasthan.  You  are  well  educated  and  studied  design  in  the  Indian  Institute  of  Fashion  in  New  Delhi  before  setting  up  your  business  with  your  savings  and  some  money  from  some  relatives.  You  are  married  with  a  4  year  old  child  whose  husband  is  a  business  man  that  often  travels  for  work.  While  you  are  based  in  Jaipur,  your  nearest  relatives  live  in  Delhi.    You  have  received  a  conditional  grant  from  an  international  investment  fund  on  the  condition  you  identify  and  manage  the  gender  related  challenges  that  you  personally  face  that  may  negatively  impact  on  your  business.  Specifically  they  request  you  create  an  action  plan  to  overcome  these  challenges.  

In  your  subgroup,  identify  and  define  the  potential  gender  related  challenges  you  individually  face  as  a  women  entrepreneur  running  an  enterprise  in  India,  as  well  as  the  challenges  working  with  women  producers  in  your  supply  chain  that  may  impede  the  development  of  your  enterprise.    

Also  identify  the  potential  solutions  to  overcome  these  challenges.  

To  what  extent  would  some  of  these  challenges  be  the  same  or  different  for  the  women  working  as  producers  in  the  supply  chain?      

 

   

 

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and  social  expectations  of  workers  to  participate  which  have  implications  for  the  consistency  and  reliability  of  workers  in  the  supply  chain.    

• Exploitation  and  harassment  as  a  woman  • Male  leadership  among  producers  and  

distributers      

 

   

   

 

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Groups  3  &  4  Subgroup  Facilitators:  Patty  Alleman  (US  Aid)  &  Aditi  Shrivastava  (Intellecap)  

 

Challenges    

Solutions  

• Woman’s  role  –  caregivers  vs.  economic  engagement    

• Sexual  harassment,  especially  when  men  are  in  more  senior  roles  

• Male  ego  issues  when  women  earn  more  than  their  husbands  

• The  family  needs  to  be  comfortable  ‘allowing’  women  to  be  away  at  work  from  9  to  5  which  would  be  more  pronounced  with  distributors  who  are  expected  to  travel    for  door  to  door  marketing  

• Access  to  working  capital  • Transport:  stoves  heavy    which  may  present  

problems  for  distribution    

• Technology  as  an  enabler  • Female  to  female  sales  talks  work  better  due  

to  greater  understanding  &  trust  • Flexi-­‐hours,  home  office  • Engaging  with  the  family  of  women  

employees  to  build  awareness  of  the  benefits  of  women  being  able  to  contribute  to  family  income  

• Annual  day  with  families,  health  &  education  awareness  programs  with  family  members  

• A  management  and  organizational  structure  incorporating  women  at  all  levels  of  the  organization  

• Identify  other  stakeholders  within  the  communities  with  shared  mandates  to  collaborate  with  on  behaviour  change  communication  and  product  awareness.  For  example,  schools.  

 

 

Case  Study  Two  

You  lead  a  high  impact  enterprise  headquartered  in  New  Delhi  that  produces  and  distributes  clean  cook  stoves.  Women  are  a  key  resource  to  the  business  as  producers  of  the  ceramic  clean  cook  stoves  and  you  directly  employ  them  in  your  business,  and  then  you  sell  the  stoves  using  a  team  of  women  distributers.  You  have  received  a  grant  from  an  international  investment  fund  on  the  condition  you  seek  to  identify  and  manage  the  gender  related  challenges  among  the  workforce  and  your  team  of  women  distributers.  They  see  these  challenges  as  a  risk  that  may  negatively  impact  on  your  business  and  so  specifically  they  request  you  create  an  action  plan  to  overcome  these  challenges.    

In  your  subgroup,  identify  and  define  the  potential  gender  related  operational  challenges  faced  by  the  enterprise  in  terms  of  the  employment  of  women  to  produce  and  distribute  the  clean  cook  stoves?    

Also  identify  the  potential  solutions  to  overcome  these  challenges?    

To  what  extent  would  some  of  these  challenges  be  the  same  or  different  for  the  women  working  as  producers  or  as  distributers?      

 

   

 

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Groups  5&6  Subgroup  facilitators:  Gayle  Peterson  (Partners4Change)  &  Stefanie  Bauer  (GIZ)  

 

Challenges    

Solutions  

• Does  the  target  customer  need  the  product  or  not?  For  example,  breast  pumps?  Not  sure.    

• Building  education  and  awareness  for  push  products    

• Need  to  create  a  wider  conversation  about  

Case  Study  

You  an  ideas  stage  enterprise  headquartered  in  Calcutta  that  seeks  to  distribute  breast  pumps  and  sanitary  towels  to  low  income  women  and  girls  in  the  region.  You  are  entering  a  business  model  competition  for  seed  funding  to  pilot  the  idea.  In  the  application  form,  you  have  to  identify  the  challenges  your  enterprise  may  face  in  its  business  model  to  target  the  low  income  market  segment,  and  in  turn  to  reach  and  market  to  women  and  girl  customers  and  provide  them  with  after  sales  customer  service.  Specifically  they  request  you  state  how  you  will  overcome  these  challenges,  as  well  as  define  metrics  to  track  the  impact  the  products  have  on  women  and  girls.        

In  your  subgroup,  identify  and  define  the  potential  gender  related  operational  challenges  faced  by  the  enterprise  in  terms  of  the  targeting,  marketing  to  and  servicing  the  women  and  girls  customer  segment.  

Also  identify  the  potential  solutions  to  overcome  these  challenges?    

Finally  suggest  metrics  to  track  the  positive  gender  impact  the  products  have  on  women  and  girls.    

 

   

 

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• Consider  products  from  a  rural  perspective  rather  than  the  urban  perspective.  In  a  rural  environment  there  is  a  need  for  a  market  analysis  to  understand  if  there  is  a  market  need.    

• Taboos  and  the  fundamental  question  as  to  whether  the  target  women  actually  need  a  sanitary  napkin?  Does  she  need  it?  Does  she  have  the  money  to  buy  it?  Even  if  she  is  aware  of  the  product  can  she  access  it?    

• Do  the  poorest  of  the  poor  whose  needs  are  the  lowest  in  the  value  chain  in  the  family,  do  they  see  a  value  in  a  sanitary  napkin  rather  than  a  piece  of  cloth?      

• A  mother  may  pay  for  a  child’s  napkin  but  not  for  herself.    

• Sanitary  towels  are  push  products.  Behaviour  change  communication  is  required  which  requires  market  insight  studies  and  long  term  strategies.    

• Disposal  of  the  product  is  a  challenge.  • Distribution  –  traditional  models  such  as  the  

Asha  model  may  not  work  for  the  products.  These  products  often  have  a  stigma  which  needs  breaking  and  behavioural  change  needed  

• Costly  to  distribute  to  rural  markets  • Access:  retailers  are  mostly  men  and  women  

do  not  like  to  buy  from  men  • High  transaction  costs:  distribution,  building  

up  value  chain,  production,  etc.  • Raising  capital  as  hybrid  (non-­‐profit)  • Access  to  finance  • Engagement  of  men  on  the  same  agenda  is  

missing  • How  do  you  create  access  to  products?  • Rural  mind-­‐set  is  needed  not    a  metropolitan  

mind-­‐set  o These  may  be  urban  products  which  

are  not  compatible  with  rural  needs    

menstrual  hygiene  and  management  • Need  to  do  homework  on  the  market  first  

before  test  the  product.    • Distribution  centres:    the  last  mile  

distribution.  Using  Asha  workers,  school  teachers.  These  products  are  private  and  cannot  be  given  out  in  a  public  place.    

• How  is  it  that  a  sanitary  towel  will  have  a  greater  impact  than  a  piece  of  cloth.  Still  need  research  to  show  that  the  health  impact  is  there.    

• Infrastructure/marketing:  introduce  products  in  good  conditions/environment  

• Create  basket  of  products:  cosmetics,  sanitary  products  are  a  push  product  

• Involve  micro  entrepreneurs  in  production  • Direct  selling  to  cut  out  middlemen  • Club  products  with  government  schemes  

(e.g.  mother/child  nutrition)  • Educate  the  boys,  explain  biology,  involve  

local  doctors,  young  girls  and  teachers  to  break  the  stigma.  

 

 

   

 

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PART  2:    Presentation  USAID  

Patty  Alleman  on  behalf  of  USAID  gave  a  presentation  on  Gender  Lens  incubation  and  Investment.  She  provided  a  definition  of  gender  lens  investing  as  an  investment  approach  that  intentionally  uses  gender  as  a  category  of  analysis  and  value  to  create  both  financial  return  and  positive  social  impact  that  is  actively  measured.    She  stated  that  three  primary  investment  objectives  or  “lenses”  can  be  identified  across  this  emerging  segment:  Women-­‐Run  Businesses,  i.e.,  Investments  that  increase  access  to  capital  for  women  entrepreneurs  and  businesses  that  have  women  in  leadership  positions;    Gender  Equity  in  the  Workplace,  i.e.,  Investments  that  promote  gender  equity  by  investing  in  private  sector  companies  with  leading  gender  policies  and  strategies;  and  Products  &  Services  Benefiting  Women  &  Girls  i.e.,  Investments  that  direct  capital  to  socially  responsible  businesses  that  develop  and  offer  products  and  services  benefiting  women  and  girls.  While  the  focus  is  on  applying  a  single  gender  lens  at  minimum,  ideally  companies  will  apply  multiple  gender  lenses.    

Studies  of  why  there  is  a  business  card  to  having  a  gender  lens  approach  were  set  out.  In  turn,  Patty  noted  that  donors  have  decades  of  experience  of  gender  lens  in  their  investments  and  programmes,  as  well  as  how  to  measure  impact  and  outcomes.  

She  stressed  that  the  focus  of  the  discussion  should  go  beyond  the  number  of  women  owned  businesses  within  a  portfolio,  beyond  head  counting,  to  develop  more  meaningful  metrics.    But  that  it  is  something  that  needs  to  be  achieved  collectively  by  bringing  together  both  gender  and  financial  experts  and,  bridging  the  differences  in  terminology  used.  Moreover  there  is  a  need  to  pull  in  expertise  from  think  tanks  to  help.    

Ecosystem  Pitches  

• Neera  Nundy,  DASRA    

   

 

9    

• Verity  Corbett,  Be  Fund  

Subgroups  During  this  part  of  the  session,  the  participants  broke  up  into  6  subgroups  which  then  rotated  around  3  different  ‘stations’  each  with  a  different  table  host.    Stations  represented  the  different  ecosystem  players:  donors  &  DFIs;  incubators  &  philanthropic  capital  and  impact  investors.    At  each  table  they  discussed  the  same  question  but  considered  in  turn  each  stakeholder  group:  What  is  the  role  of  [stakeholder]  in  providing  support  to  support  high  impact  enterprises  that  promote  the  empowerment  of  women  and  girls,  what  existing  support  is  provided,  where  are  there  gaps  and  what  are  recommendations  for  the  future?  

Donor:    Subgroup  facilitators:  Stefanie  Bauer  (GIZ)  &  Patty  Alleman  (USAID)  

Role  &  Existing  support    -­‐ To  provide  capital  support  -­‐ To  provide  policy  advocacy      Gaps    

Recommendations    

-­‐ Sector  understanding    -­‐ Seed  capital    

-­‐ Establishment  of  metrics/modules  in  order  to  push  enterprises  

-­‐ Collaboration  with  corporates  to  channel  their  CSR  funds  towards  high  impact  enterprises  

-­‐ Joint  investments  with  impact  investors  to  mitigate  risks  

-­‐ Mechanisms  how  entrepreneurs  can  change  behaviour  to  get  access  to  finance  

-­‐ Policy  advocacy  to  engage  with  governments    

 

   

 

10    

 

 

Impact  investors:  Subgroup  Facilitators:  Gayle  Peterson  (Partners4Change)  &  Aditi  Shrivastava  (Intellecap)  

Role  &  Existing  support      

-­‐ To  provide  finance.    Gaps    

Recommendations    

Gaps:  Perhaps  too  many  lenses?  o Impact  already  strong  lens  o Lenses  often  stigmatised  with  

stereotypes  (napkins,  nursery)  o Gender  lens  perhaps  no  separate  

lens  o Some  investors  are  not  really  

interested  in  impact,  but  just  in  numbers  

 

-­‐ Learning  sector:  definitions  needed,  care  about  gender  or  proactive  approach  

-­‐ No  women  on  the  top  of  funds  which  is  a  problem  for  gender  lens  investing  

-­‐ Understanding  of  power  and  family  dimensions  necessary  and  so  a  training  for  investors  is  required  

-­‐ Men  and  women  should  work  together    and  it  is  necessary  to  include  men  in  communication  

-­‐ Capacity  building  for  female  entrepreneurs  (e.g.  financial  literacy)    

   

   

 

11    

Incubators/Philanthropists:  Subgroup  Facilitators:  Neera  Nundy  (DASRA)  &  Verity  Corbett  (Be  Fund!)  

Role  &  Existing  Support      

-­‐ To  capacity  building/training  (e.g.  Business  planning,  modelling)  and  provide  access  to  finance.  

-­‐ To  take  risk,  provide  pre-­‐seed  capital  for  prototyping  and  “de-­‐risk”  ventures  –  be  “early,  gender-­‐focussed  philanthropy”.    

Gaps    

Recommendations    

-­‐ Proactive  sourcing  of  women  entrepreneurs  -­‐ Application  of  a  gender  lens  in  incubation  

structure  -­‐ Motivation  for  men/boys    -­‐ Publishing  role  models  and  best  practices    -­‐ Incubators  and  philanthropic  funds  need  to  

act  to  connect  investors  and  investees  more,  and  while  there  are  platforms  connecting  philanthropy  with  finance  they  are  few  and  far  between  and  hard  to  find  -­‐  this  needs  to  change.  

 

-­‐ Be  transparent:  who  is  your  target  group?  -­‐ Household  responsibilities  -­‐    incubation  

model  should  support  private  flexibility  for  women    

-­‐ Research    -­‐ Men  programmes  -­‐ Platform  to  connect  philanthropy  and  

finance    

 

 

   

   

 

12    

APPENDIX  

Participants  List    

 

 

 

First Name Last Name City Name of Organization DesignationAnurag Agrawal Hyderabad Intellecap CEOShama Karkal Bangalore Swasti DirectorDebaleena Ray Barpeta Tamul Plates Marketing Pvt. Ltd. Manager - Training & DocumentationSalone Mithal Ghosh Mumbai TARI ConsultantErin Quinn New Delhi Dimagi Field ManagerMichael MacHarg Portland Mercy Corps Sr. Advisor, Social EnterpriseKaren Woodin Mumbai Mahindra Brand ManagerAnupa Pant Kathmandu IFC- World Bank Group Agribusiness SpecialistWei Wei Hsing Mumbai Acumen Senior Impact AssociateSaara Hafeez New York Neuberger Berman MissAsma Kathiwalla Mumbai Thomson Reuters Foundation Program OfficerHannah Schiff New York The Global Impact Investing Network Senior Associate, ResearchSijo George Cochin Startup Village CEONeha Juneja Mumbai Greenway Grameen Co-founder & CEOSanjay Banka Hyderabad Banka BioLoo non-executive directorKaron Shaiva Mumbai Idobro Chief Impact Officer & MDTuhin Paul Ahmedabad Menstrupedia CofounderDevashish Dass Mumbai Idobro Impact Head, PatrnershipsPrasad Bhide Mumbai Aaji Care-at-Home Services FounderRashi Agarwal Singapore Impact Investment Shujog ManagerMs.Poonam Mane Pune Mann Deshi Foundation Program DirectorRupali Avinash Mumbai Idobro Impact Manager- PartnershipVerity Corbett Delhi Going to School Impact DirectorEleanor Horowitz Bangalore Unitus Seed Fund AnalystSnigdha Rao Bangalore Aavishkaar Senior Investment ManagerDiksha Madhok Delhi Startup Village Community managerNishita Murarka Mumbai Dasra Portfolio AssociateNeera Nundy Mumbai Dasra CoFounder & PartnerSuzi Soza Austin (USA) Verb Inc CEOArielle Salomon Mumbai EFL Account ManagerJames Dien Bui Ho Chi Minh City Lotus Impact Managing DirectorJames Dien Bui Ho Chi Minh City Lotus Impact Managing DirectorAjaita Shah Jaipur Frontier Markets CEOMwnabili Brahma Guwahati Delaithi Ethnic World ChairpersonTapash Chatterjee Mitaan Sewa Samiti SecretaryAruna Raman Indian Institute for Human Settlements Senior Associate - IIHS Urban IncubatorPranshu Healthera Co-founder