The British International Investment (BII formerly CDC) is the UK’s development finance institution (DFI), providing capital to promising entrepreneurs and ambitious businesses in the private sector. Our mission is to support the building of businesses throughout Africa and South Asia, to create jobs and contribute to the development of some of the fastest growing economies in the world. We invest both directly, providing debt and equity, and through intermediaries, typically investment fund managers.

We believe the case for advancing women’s participation in economic activity is clear – it will enhance the performance of our investments and help close the global gap on gender. Our gender strategy focuses on how we can advance women’s economic empowerment throughout the investment lifecycle. The strategy has four key themes: supporting women’s leadership, improving women’s job quality, promoting access to finance and entrepreneurship, and applying a gender lens to products and services.

To learn more, please visit BII.