TruStory 

Gender Lens Investing in Bangladesh

Bangladesh’s entrepreneurial ecosystem has long faced gender-specific barriers, such as limited access to finance, underrepresentation in leadership roles, and workforce disparities. The Gender Lens Investing (GLI) programme directly addresses these challenges by promoting a paradigm shift that encourages stakeholders to adopt gender-smart financing and practices. It redefines the entrepreneurial ecosystem by promoting gender inclusivity and equity.

The program activities

This initiative, developed through the collaborative efforts of Truvalu and the Embassy of Switzerland in Bangladesh’s B-Briddhi programme, integrates gender considerations into all aspects of business and investment processes, including sourcing, due diligence, structuring, and portfolio management.

By fostering collaboration among investors, financial institutions, policymakers, and entrepreneurs, the GLI programme is working to eliminate gender inequities while unlocking untapped economic potential. This initiative envisions a future where gender-focused businesses thrive, innovative financial solutions are readily available, and gender diversity serves as a catalyst for nationwide progress.

The GLI programme is built on three pillars:

  • Capacity Building:
    Training and mentoring gender-focused enterprises over four years, targeting regions like Chattogram, Dhaka, and Rajshahi.
    Customized Business Development Services (BDS) for 40 enterprises in the first year, followed by smaller cohorts in subsequent years.
    Networking events connecting entrepreneurs with investors, financial institutions, and market players.
  • Ecosystem Awareness:
    Organizing conferences and workshops to share insights, inspire stakeholders, and co-design gender-smart financing solutions.
    Storytelling campaigns highlighting the transformative impact of GLI through real-life success stories.
  • GLI Framework Development:
    Research and consultations to create a GLI framework tailored to Bangladesh’s socio-economic context.
    Integration of global best practices, complemented by local case studies and knowledge products.
“This initiative creates significant waves of change. By empowering women entrepreneurs and integrating gender-focused strategies into the core of the business ecosystem, we are laying a foundation for a future filled with equity and inclusivity. True impact goes beyond profit; it’s about shaping a future where everyone has equal opportunities to succeed.” Syeda Rimoon Farwa, Program Coordinator for Gender Lens Investing at Truvalu

Social and environmental impact

The programme’s emphasis on both social impact and financial viability creates a robust framework that benefits not only women (focused) entrepreneurs but also the broader economic landscape. By addressing barriers like limited access to capital, underrepresentation, and cultural challenges, GLI paves the way for inclusive and sustainable growth.

The program empowers women focused entrepreneurs by equipping them with essential leadership skills, promoting workforce diversity, and addressing long-standing gender disparities. Women-led businesses gain access to valuable resources, mentorship, and networks, which enable them to make strategic decisions and drive their businesses toward growth. Increased representation of women in leadership roles creates a ripple effect, inspiring future generations to overcome societal barriers and contribute meaningfully to the economy.

Over a four-year period, the program aims to create a more inclusive financial landscape while aligning with global priorities, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 5 (Gender Equality), 8 (Decent Work), 10 (Reduced Inequalities), and 17 (Global Partnerships).

The uniqueness of the initiative

The GLI programme is unique in its commitment to fostering systemic change in Bangladesh’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Unlike conventional programmes, GLI takes a multidimensional approach by embedding gender equity across training, investment, and advocacy efforts. This initiative not only equips women (focused) entrepreneurs with essential tools but also transforms how financial institutions and stakeholders perceive and support gender-inclusive businesses. Additionally, the programme fosters an ecosystem of collaboration, bringing together entrepreneurs, investors, and policymakers to co-create solutions that drive long-term impact. Its focus on practical tools (such as customized Business Development, impact measurement frameworks, and networking platforms) ensures that participants can translate learnings into actionable outcomes.

 

 

Ambreen Hassan Serker, Founder & CEO of IKIGAI HR Services, stated: “The general training initiative for women-focused businesses on gender-inclusive business development, impact measurement, and access to finance was incredibly beneficial. It provided us with a structured framework to reassess IKIGAI HR’s operations and align them with best practices for impact and growth. Through sessions on private investment processes, due diligence, HR compliance, and strategic funding avenues, we gained invaluable insights that reshaped our strategic approach. I want to express my gratitude to the fellow participants, Truvalu Bangladesh, and the Swiss Embassy for organizing this program and offering opportunities for learning and training that will lead to practical solutions.”

The future outlook

As GLI gains more traction globally, the programme in Bangladesh will become a key platform for creating sustainable business ecosystems where women’s contributions are valued and supported. In the coming years, the GLI programme plans to expand its reach to include more women-led enterprises across Bangladesh. With the success of the initial phases in Chattogram, Dhaka, and Rangpur, the programme will extend to additional regions, particularly in rural and underserved areas.

This broader geographical coverage will enable more women entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds to benefit from capacity-building, business development services, and networking opportunities.

Truvalu plans to collaborate with more financial institutions, development agencies, and impact investors to design innovative financial products specifically tailored to the needs of women focused entrepreneurs.

Marina Huq, Co-owner of Baah Store Limited: “Optimizing and pacing a company’s finances while ensuring inclusivity as impact were key takeaways for Baah from this program. Personally, I believe women entrepreneurs face unique challenges in establishing their businesses and often feel inadequate to voice their needs in a male-dominated world. It’s crucial to develop our own language to effectively communicate how we balance being working mothers, homemakers, and entrepreneurs, improving investment outcomes. I look forward to gaining more insights from such trainings to advocate for women in evolving work environments.”

“The insightful Business Development Services sessions by Truvalu have been immensely beneficial in helping me understand the investors’ perspective, which has significantly improved my pitching skills,” said Jesmin Akhtar Nila, founder of Shondhibazar.

Truvalu:

  • Provides General and Customized Business development services (BDS) and investment readiness support.
  • Supports the promotion of gender inclusion within the participating companies.
  • Facilitates linkages and networking for entrepreneurs with investors and financial institutions. Truvalu as impact investor is one of the potential equity investors in this space.
  • Creating awareness about the relevance of GLI within the entire ecosystem. Truvalu facilitates network events (seminar, round tables, network discussion, SME fairs, university challenges, etc.) to gain attention for the importance of GLI and collaboration between stakeholders in the ecosystem.
  • Develops and disseminates a GLI framework in the context of Bangladesh, aligned with existing internationally acknowledged frameworks. The framework will evolve based on ongoing research, consultations, and feedback. By integrating global best practices with local case studies, the framework will be continually refined to ensure its relevance to the socio-economic context of Bangladesh.