Diversity and Inclusion in the Financial Sector: Working Together to Drive Change
This Discussion Paper (DP) is issued by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) as well as the Bank of England (the Bank) in its capacity of supervising financial market infrastructure firms (FMI). They have published this DP to engage financial firms and other stakeholders in a discussion on how they can accelerate the pace of meaningful change and what role they can most usefully play to support this change. The DP reiterates why diversity and inclusion is important for our objectives, explores how to build on existing requirements to support and monitor progress in the UK financial sector. The regulators are working together to clarify their regulatory approach to diversity and inclusion in pursuit of our statutory objectives and having due regard to our Public Sector Equality Duty. This discussion will support their engagement with stakeholders and policy development, helping to determine which interventions could have the greatest impact.
Responsible Venture Capital: Integrating Environmental and Social Approaches in Early-Stage Investing
As pragmatic investors in challenging markets, CDC and FMO tailor their approach to the nuances of each asset class. Equally, as development finance institutions, they have a deep commitment to responsible investment. Therefore, this report is intended to provide practical advice about how to invest responsibly in early-stage businesses in emerging markets; managing environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks and identifying opportunities, while supporting the growth of innovative companies.
A Blueprint for Revamping the Minority Business Development Agency
Across the United States, small businesses are a significant source of employment and provide a variety of goods and services. For those who are fortunate enough to own a small business, they can also offer a pathway to wealth building and prosperity. Unfortunately, the ownership, profitability, and even presence of small businesses are grounded in differences in capital finance and unevenly distributed by race—especially when comparing Black and white communities. This issue brief examines the disparity.
Investing in Equality: Integrating LGBT Issues into Total Portfolio Activation
This white paper from Trilium Asset Management provides a framework for investors to expand the scope of impact in LGBT issues across asset classes in their portfolios. The authors believe that all investments have impact, regardless of asset class, and that individual and institutional investors alike should consider how best to achieve their financial goals while leveraging their investments in a way that aligns with their mission and values. The goal of this report is that investors use the resources and case studies in this white paper as a guide for identifying investment opportunities that advance LGBT rights and equality.
Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Strategy 2018–2022: Fiji Women’s Fund
The Fiji Women’s Fund is an initiative of the Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development (Pacific Women) Program, funded by the Australian Government. In November 2015, DFAT commissioned a three-member design team to develop the Fund design. The design team consulted with a range of stakeholders including key women’s civil society organisations and rural women’s groups, government, private sector and development grantees. The consultation highlighted the positive interest and support from women’s civil society organisations for the Fund to be locally owned and managed. However, there was strong consensus among women’s organisations that the process for localising the Fund required time and planning, and that this would be the key focus of the Fund while it is supported by DFAT until 2022. The Fund commits up to AU$10.5 million from July 2017 to June 2022 to women’s organisations, groups and networks. It will provide funding and capacity development support to women’s groups, organisations and networks in Fiji to expand and enhance their work on women’s empowerment and gender equality.
Verve Super's Gender Lens Investing Approach
Verve Super's Gender Lens Investing approach takes into consideration gender-based factors across the investment process to advance gender equality & inclusion and better inform investment decisions
Inclusive Africa
Inclusive Africa is a leading player for systemic change to improve inclusivity and drive diversity in Africa. They help development agencies, impact investors, and organizations working in Africa to track and improve inclusivity with a particular focus on intercultural and ethnic diversity to create opportunities for all.
Ethnicity in Investment Management: Building Positive Intentions into Meaningful Action
This report by the Investment Association (IA) reflects on the actions investment management firms are taking to better understand their workforce and identify where minorities are under-represented, as well as the reasons behind this. It is designed to provide practical examples through case studies to share good practice with their wider membership. It forms part of the extensive existing body of D&I work produced by the IA, including their 2019 Black Voices report which looks specifically at the experiences of Black professionals working in the investment management industry and Black students considering their careers.
Global Diversity and Inclusion: Perceptions, Practices and Attitudes
In 2008, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) commissioned the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), a subsidiary of The Economist Group, to conduct an International Study on Diversity and Inclusion. The study was launched to provide a deeper understanding of Diversity and Inclusion issues on a global scale, and to offer insight into Diversity and Inclusion best practices worldwide. This groundbreaking study included surveying over 500 executives and interviewing 40 of them. In addition, the Economist Intelligence Unit researched the diversity readiness of 47 different countries to create the Global Diversity Readiness Index. This report details the findings of both the research and this groundbreaking new tool.
Investing for Justice Part 2: How
Social and racial justice is a complex and sensitive systemic issue that can make people feel uncomfortable. Systemic inequalities in the financial sector reinforce systemic inequalities in society. However, if we are going to commit to learning and striving for change, then the issues need to be faced in order to overcome them. This report from Rally Assets demonstrates how we can work to reduce those inequalities by how and where we invest our capital.
Impact Investing in the Indigenous Context: A Scan of the Canadian Marketplace
Indigenous issues remain at the forefront of Canadian policy, with many communities still lacking the necessary infrastructure and services related to water, education, economic development, and health. While these issues have traditionally been targeted by government, non-profits and charities, we believe that impact investors can play a role as well. This report seeks to answer a crucial question that has been under-examined in the Canadian impact investment market: What is being done by impact investors, and how can the sector contribute to the betterment of Indigenous communities in Canada? How will the emergence of new intermediaries shape the Indigenous Finance landscape over the next decade?
Inclusive Resilience in South Asia
The World Bank’s South Asia team has developed project specific social inclusion action plans that include a set of recommendations outlining feasible entry points for Disaster Risk Management (DRM) projects across a variety of DRM topics to more inclusively address the needs of excluded populations. The menu of actions will keep growing as we learn more. This project aims to elevate innovative solutions and the emerging best practices from the local, regional and international levels on inclusion in disaster contexts. This platform aims to highlight the truly resilient society that DRM and Social Development practitioners are building and scaling across the South Asia region.
Diversity & Inclusion in the VC Industry
NVCA and Deloitte dashboard to explore who works in the VC industry (US); whether gender, racial/ethnic, or age groups have differing experiences; what firms are doing to enhance diversity and inclusion; and how these findings compare to the benchmark from the inaugural study.
Private Equity’s Chance to Stand Up for Diversity and Inclusion
BCG's report on how private equity firms can accelerate progress toward racial justice.
The Diversity Forum
From The Diversity Forum: The Diversity Forum is a collective on a mission to drive inclusive social investment in the UK, through the convening of sector-wide groups, commissioning research, and knowledge sharing. Their report, published in January 2019, found that only 2.8% of directors in the social investment sector were women of ethnic minority backgrounds, and almost one in five directors in the sector had attended Oxford and Cambridge universities. There is urgency to change this to ensure that we represent the people we seek to serve, as well as to uncover new opportunities.
The Equity Equation: A Roadmap to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Canadian Finance
The Equity Equation aims to inform the finance industry’s diversity strategies and best practices, and to equip WCM’s partner firms, their leaders, managers and employees with tangible recommendations to advance equity. These recommendations offer a roadmap for their partners who wish to advance equity, diversity and inclusion.