The European Investment Bank (EIB), European Commission, and the Government of Luxembourg, along with several global partners, are ramping up efforts to strengthen women’s economic empowerment through strategic investment. The collaboration was announced on the sidelines of the 4th United Nations International Conference on Financing for Development, during a high-level event in Seville.
Held under the theme ‘Sustainable Finance for Gender Equality: Accelerating action towards 2030’, the event was co-hosted by the Governments of Luxembourg and South Africa, UN Women, and the EIB. The initiative brings together key players including the Gates Foundation, the World Bank’s Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP), and the International Labour Organization (ILO).
The programme, operating under the banner ‘Women for Stronger Communities and Growth’, is part of the European Union’s wider Global Gateway strategy. It is designed to drive meaningful change for women across Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Pacific through targeted investments in climate action, agriculture, entrepreneurship, and energy.
Nadia Calviño, President of the EIB, said: “When women thrive whole communities benefit and we build more prosperous and peaceful societies. Through Global Gateway, the European Union is unlocking new opportunities around the world with projects in key sectors like health, entrepreneurship, agriculture, climate action and energy. Investing in women is not only the right thing to do, but also the smart thing to do.”
Luxembourg’s Minister for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs, Xavier Bettel, commented on the broader impact: “Ensuring women’s financial inclusion is not only a matter of equity, it is key to building more resilient and sustainable societies. Luxembourg is committed to advancing gender equality by supporting innovative finance solutions that empower women and create opportunities for them. Together with our partners, we will continue to invest in systems that allow women to thrive, drive local economies, and build a more sustainable future.”
Jozef Síkela, European Commissioner for International Partnerships, said: “Women’s empowerment is a crucial driver of global development, reducing poverty, and enhancing social and economic outcomes. The EU’s Global Gateway enables women entrepreneurs and workers to access financial resources and harness technology for business innovation, the green and digital transition, and improved access to national, regional and global supply chains.”
Mark Suzman, CEO of the Gates Foundation said: “Our new approach will support commercial banks to provide affordable loans to help women micro-entrepreneurs across East Africa start or expand their businesses. These loans will give them the resources to realize their ambitions, strengthen their role in shaping their futures, as well as the futures of their families and communities. The Gates Foundation welcomes this latest partnership with the European Commission and EIB to help give women the resources they need to realize their potential.”
Sophie Sirtaine, CEO of the World Bank’s Consultative Group to Assist the Poor, said: “At CGAP, we believe that women’s financial inclusion must build their resilience and autonomy because these enable women to better navigate shocks and seize opportunities. Catalytic capital plays a vital role in making women-centric innovation possible. Now, more than ever, development aid must go further than before – leveraging catalytic capital to empower women is the need of the hour. By coordinating smartly, we can create the systems, data, and partnerships that enable women-centered finance to scale”.
Craig Churchill, Chief of the Social Finance Programme at the ILO, said: “Empowering women through financial inclusion is fundamental to building resilient communities and promoting decent work. the ILO’s is happy to partner with the EU and is committed to advancing gender equality and economic justice. By developing a package of resilience solutions for women-led businesses, especially in vital sectors like agriculture, we can help drive sustainable development.”
Across the regions, women are playing a key part in reinforcing food security and climate resilience, particularly through their contributions to essential sectors. The initiative will place particular focus on agricultural value chains, blue economy activities, and development along strategic economic corridors.
Projects already in progress under the initiative include support for the ETG Group. ETG works with women farmers to improve yields and build climate-resilient agricultural enterprises. Meanwhile, in the clean energy sector, support may be channelled through vehicles like the Mirova Gigaton Fund, which invests in small and medium-sized energy businesses operating in emerging markets, with a strong inclusion mandate for women and low-income households.
These joint efforts feed into the EU’s wider Global Gateway objectives and contribute directly to the EU Gender Action Plan for External Action (GAP III). They also align with the 2X Challenge, a global pledge to direct $20 billion into women-focused investments over the next three years.
By combining public and private sector resources, the initiative aims to make a long-term difference for women entrepreneurs and workers, and to help communities across developing regions move toward greater sustainability and shared prosperity.
