Upcoming Events

August 2023 - ORANGE FORUM

The 'Orange Forum 2023,' held on August 17th at the United Nations (UN) Asia-Pacific Headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand, marked a pivotal moment within the broader UN Feminist Finance Forum. With a gathering of approximately 100 key stakeholders, the event brought together policymakers, women entrepreneurs, investors, financial service providers, and representatives from civil society, academia, and women's grassroots organizations. The focus was on propelling the mission of the Orange Movement™, aiming to mobilize $10 billion by 2030 to empower 100 million women, girls, and gender minorities. The forum's discussions transitioned the gender lens investing narrative from mere strategy to actionable initiatives.

Central to the event were engaging dialogues and presentations by practitioners, all aimed at elevating the voices of women and gender minorities. Recognizing their role as solution providers with immense potential to drive economic growth, especially in climate action, peacebuilding, and prosperity. An intersectional perspective emerged, highlighting the promising overlap between climate and gender finance, showcasing avenues for both equity and environmental sustainability. The spotlight was also on data's crucial role in promoting transparency and diversity. Cutting-edge technology solutions were unveiled to reshape data collection, emphasizing the need for transparent tracking of progress, especially in matters related to gender and climate.

The event facilitated fruitful connections among notable entities such as Impact Investment Exchange (IIX), Global Affairs Canada (GAC), UN Women, Australian Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT), Green Climate Fund, UNESCAP, Swedish Embassy, TIME, 2X Global, Sweef Capital, Griffith University , AVPN, She Loves Tech, and Value For Women, fostering collaborative momentum for transformative change.

Watch a recording of the session here

June 2023 - UN RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS AND HUMAN RIGHTS FORUM

Ms. Kathy-Thuy Nguyen, Country Director, IIX discussed the world’s first Orange Bond and how the Orange Bond Initiative™ supports women Initiative supports women leadership in accelerating the just energy transition. Ms. Nguyen outlined the cross-section of gender and climate and the ability of bonds to distribute necessary capital to communities across emerging markets.

Ms. Nguyen was joined by Ms. Athena Denise Galao, Program Analyst, UN Women, Ms. Amira Bilqis, Energy Modelling and Policy Planning Analyst, ASEAN Centre for Energy, Ms Duong Khanh Ly, Director, Nghia Ta Agricultural and Forestry Cooperative, and Ms. Alice Jipius, Project Manager, Tonibung.

Ms. Kathy shared, “We redefine the role of women and recognize them as solutions to issues such as climate change and as drivers of change across sectors. The Women's Livelihood Bond Series has mobilized US$128 million, empowering over 1 million women and girls across Asia and Africa to transition to more sustainable and climate-resilient livelihoods. It specifically supports low-income and rural women to better adapt to climate change and to be part of the energy transition."

Mr. Dinesh Sharma, Head – Credit Portfolio Management, IIX and Ms. Eleanor Keppelman, Investment Officer, U.S. DFC discussed the Orange Bond Initiative™ on a Green, Social, Sustainable, and other labelled (GSS+) bonds panel at AFIFORUM 2023. They were joined by Mr. Boo Hock Khoo, Co-Founder, The Development Guarantee Group, and the session was moderated by Mr. Rafiqul Islam, Managing Director and CEO, Green Delta Securities. Mr. Sharma and Ms. Keppelman discussed the Orange Bond Initiative™ approach to investing in gender equality and its importance in providing emerging markets a value in capital markets while discussing the role both IIX and the U.S. DFC have played in Orange Bond issuances such as the WLB™ Series.

March 2023 - G20 Sustainable Finance Working Group

The first meeting of the G20 Sustainable Finance Working Group focused on the existing approaches for enabling financing towards the UN SDGs. Ms. Natasha Garcha, Senior Director, Innovative Finance, Impact Investment Exchange was on a panel to specifically discuss the role of social impact financial instruments wherein she shared insights from IIX’s Women’s Livelihood Bond™ (WLB™) Series and discussed the alignment of the Orange Bond Initiative™ with the broader goals of the G20

Ms. Garcha was joined on the panel by Mr. Sebastián Welisiejko, Chief Policy Officer, Global Steering Group for Impact Investment, Mr. Vineet Rai, Founder, Aavishkaar Group, Ms. Dean Hand, Chief Research Officer, Global Impact Investing Network, and Ms. Eila Kreivi, Chief Sustainable Finance Advisor, European Investment Bank (Moderator).

March 2023 - Australia Impact Investment Summit

Professor Durreen Shahnaz, Founder, and CEO of Impact Investment Exchange, hosted a session on the 'Making of Orange Bonds' at the Australian Impact Investment Summit 2023. 

Prof. Shahnaz was joined on the panel by Ms. Stephanie Copus Campbell, Ambassador for Gender Equality, Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ms. Trisha Gray, Assistant Director, Gender Equality, Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Ms. Katharine Tapley, Head of Sustainable Finance, Australia and New Zealand Bank. 

The panel addressed how the Orange Bond Initiative™ is a cross-cutting asset class tackling green- and impact-washing in the sustainable debt market. They also discussed the Initiative’s approach to ensuring women are seen as solutions, not just as victims of these issues, and bringing the Global South back to the decision-making table. 

October 2022 - SOCAP

At SOCAP 2022, Ms. Natasha Garcha, Senior Director, Innovative Finance, Impact Investment Exchange, Mr. Stephen Liberatore, Managing Director, Head of ESG/ Impact, Global Fixed Income, Nuveen, and Mr. Richard Greenberg, Managing Director, Social Enterprise Finance, U.S. International Development Finance Corporation hosted a fireside chat about the Orange Bond Initiative™. 

The panel provided an overview of the Initiative including insights from market intelligence reports, data-driven impact reporting, democratization tools, and upcoming transactions such as the Women’s Livelihood Bond™ 5. It also shared pathways for ecosystem actors to showcase gender-equal capital market support.

Mr. Greenberg, Managing Director, U.S. DFC shared, “The Orange Bond Initiative™ goes beyond setting standards to mobilizing capital for gender equality and building an ecosystem committed to transitioning from strategy to action.” 

Watch a recording of the session here