As IIX celebrates its 16th anniversary, we reflect on our journey of pioneering impact by helping develop equitable financial markets and solutions. This milestone is more than a celebration—it is a reaffirmation of our commitment to systemic change, integrating gender equality and climate action into the financial system. Our work goes beyond numbers; it is about resilience, inclusion, and rewriting the rules to ensure women have a voice and a seat at the table.

At the heart of this transformation is the Orange Movement™, a global collaborative initiative to bridge capital gaps for women, girls, and gender minorities. By investing in women—whether in climate resilience, regenerative agriculture, or clean energy—we enable ripples of change that uplift communities. However, significant challenges remain. Women receive only a fraction of the global investment despite being key drivers of climate solutions and economic growth.

Designing Financial Markets for Gender and Climate Equity

Climate change disproportionately affects women, yet they remain some of the most effective changemakers in building sustainable solutions. Whether in agriculture, energy, or environmental conservation, women play a crucial role in shaping climate-resilient economies. However, systemic barriers—including limited access to capital, legal hurdles, cultural norms, and policy representation—continue to hinder their full financial and economic participation.

When climate disasters strike, women are often on the frontlines—not just as victims but as problem-solvers. Outdated and inequitable financial systems fail to prioritize gender-inclusive investments. This is where the Orange Movement™ and Orange Bonds play a crucial role in mobilizing capital toward solutions, benefiting women and communities in the last mile.

Orange bonds provide critical financing to support underserved women-focused enterprises, enabling them to scale their businesses and amplify their impact. For instance, the IIX Women’s Livelihood Bond™ (WLB) Series, labelled Orange Bonds, has unlocked over $228 million in capital, reaching more than 2.6 million women across Asia and Africa.

Several countries in the region, such as Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Vietnam, have committed to introducing Orange Bonds as part of their national sustainable finance agenda —proving that climate action and gender equality are not separate goals, but mutually reinforcing drivers of inclusive development.

Building Equitable Ecosystems Across Borders

Investing in gender equality catalyzes both economic and environmental benefits. Women reinvest up to 90% of their income into their families and communities, fueling social and economic progress. Thus, gender-responsive strategies enhance productivity, help design climate-adaptive policies, and drive local and regional economies.

However, systemic change does not happen in isolation. It requires trusted, multi-sectoral collaboration from governments, investors, enterprises, and civil society.

By bringing together the government, corporate, regulators, and other stakeholders, IIX is helping Indonesia galvanise the financial ecosystem to issue the country’s first corporate Orange Bond in 2025, strengthening equitable development. Likewise, Bangladesh is working toward issuing the first Orange Bond to help revive growth while fostering trust and transparency to support women and communities for stronger economic resilience and stability.

The shared economic challenges and the opportunity to facilitate gender-inclusive, equitable growth across countries demonstrate the immense potential for regional learning. A recent visit by a Bangladesh Government delegation to Indonesia, co-hosted by IIX and the UNDP, reinforced the collaboration synergies in developing inclusive financial markets.

By sharing knowledge and resources, nations can build sustainable ecosystems that integrate climate, gender, and social priorities for a just and inclusive society. This requires multi-faceted collaborations across diverse social and economic areas. For instance, our recent partnership with HiiL (The Hague Institute for Innovation of Law) on a policy brief to build the gender justice ecosystem highlights the critical need for fair and equitable access to justice solutions for women in developing markets.

Unlocking Systemic Change through Equitable Action

The intersection of gender inequality and climate change presents both a crisis and an opportunity. The urgency to act has never been greater. These shared global challenges are deeply intertwined, but the solutions are within reach.

The Orange Movement™ is not just a call for change—it is a call to action. We’ve seen firsthand that advancing gender equality is intrinsically linked to climate action, creating a powerful synergy for positive change. Investors, policymakers, and global leaders must come together to ensure equitable capital flows and financial systems. By investing in women, we are investing in a more resilient, sustainable, and inclusive world.

Because when we invest in women, we are investing in resilience, sustainability, and inclusive growth—for entire communities, and for the planet.

 

Priyank Tiwari

Head of Research and Government Relations