Resources

This handbook offers individuals and institutions useful advice on how to make funding more efficient for teen girls' and young women's career routes in low- and middle-income (LMIC) nations.  However, only a small percentage of these investment portfolios are specifically created to take into account the era of adolescence and young adulthood for females, which represents one in eight persons worldwide. Young women and adolescent girls make up a sizable global market that is now underserved, particularly in LMICs with young populations2. They will be our future leaders, clients, decision-makers, influencers, suppliers, and employees, therefore it is both economically and socially advantageous to invest in their success. In many LMICs, the percentage of teenage girls and young women who are not in school, the workforce, or training (NEET) is twice as high as it is for male youth. NEET is 24% among young women and girls in sub-Saharan Africa (aged 15 to 29) and 13% among men. 

Our objective is to:

Inspire investors and investment intermediaries to adopt a more intentional strategy for investing in the economic empowerment of adolescent girls and young women contribute insights on the role that private capital providers can play along with the broader ecosystem of nonprofit and public sector actors. This may include participating in blended-financing structures and public-private partnership investments.

One key finding of our study is that P2E themes are often overlooked as viable investment opportunities. While many investors may be aware of the value of quality education for economic empowerment and growth, few have considered a meaningful gender lens in education financing. Similarly, safety is severely overlooked as a possibility for investment or even a lens on other investments. Although estimates vary, this suggests the potential for investors to add as well as create value across numerous markets interconnected with the P2E theme.