About
The Gender Finance Lab is an advisory initiative to improve access to finance for women entrepreneurs in the EU and increase female representation in the financial sector. It is an EIB Group programme targeting EU financial intermediaries, including commercial banks, fund managers and microfinance institutions.
Service portfolio
The Gender Finance Lab offers advisory services, capacity building and knowledge-sharing initiatives to support financial intermediaries to seize the opportunity of increasing investments in female entrepreneurs and promote diversity in the financial sector.
It includes:
- Market studies to raise awareness on the business case of investing in women entrepreneurs and increase knowledge on the challenges that women face in the financial sector and when accessing funding.
- Advisory support, learning programmes and communities of practice targeting financial intermediaries and investors to enhance their capacities to establish new or adapt existing financial and non-financial services, products and initiatives that improve access to finance for women entrepreneurs.
- Mentoring programmes for female investor professionals/female partners in Venture Capital (VC), Private Equity (PE), and Private Credit (PC) sectors, to promote diversity by equipping them with the necessary tools, knowledge, and networks to assume further leadership roles.
- Networking and Knowledge-sharing Events to increase awareness and support financial institutions in expanding and showcasing their gender-smart finance practices, share insights on how to unlock new market potential and foster greater diversity and inclusion in the financial sector.
What we offer
The Gender-Smart Finance Master Class for commercial banks
The Gender-Smart Finance Master Class is an eLearning programme specifically targeting commercial banks across the EU. It helps banks leverage the investment opportunities presented by women entrepreneurs, create more innovative and relevant financial products, and share good practice among fellow financial institutions to better serve women entrepreneurs and bridge the gender finance gap.
Delivered as a cohort-based training, it brings together representatives from EU commercial banks, including practitioners on SME business, product development, business strategy and Environmental, Social and Governance professionals. The two-month programme includes live webinars, interactive discussions, and access to a virtual knowledge hub.
The curriculum aims to equip participating commercial bank professionals with knowledge and practical tools to:
- Explore the market potential of women-owned and women-led SMEs and their contributions to economic growth.
- Design gender-responsive financial and non-financial products and services.
- Implement gender-smart data analysis, result measurements, and reporting mechanisms.
- Stay informed about global gender finance initiatives such as Gender lens investing with the EIB Group, including the 2X Criteria as a global standard for gender-lens investing.
- Enhancing professional networks, building connections and gaining insights from distinguished professionals and experts in gender-smart banking.
Empowering Equity
The Empowering Equity is dedicated to promoting a broader representation in the Venture Capital, Private Equity and Private Credit sectors. The initiative brings together like-minded investors committed to forge a more inclusive investment ecosystem in Europe. Since its launch in 2022, the Empowering Equity has grown to become a community united by the power of partnerships and experience-sharing among participants.
The advisory programme includes knowledge-sharing annual events and the Empowering Equity mentoring programme for female fund managers.
Find out more here: Diversity & Inclusion
Study on Debt Financing for Gender Equality in Europe
This Study analyses the current landscape of debt financial and non-financial products targeting women entrepreneurs across the EU27 Member States.
The Study will be published in Summer 2025.
Who benefits
Financial institutions in the European Union, including commercial banks, fund managers, microfinance providers, National Promotional Banks & Institutions.
Contact us
Interested financial institutions are invited to contact us at