DAVOS, Switzerland,
Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/
-- There is significant opportunity for individual investors,
asset managers and companies to move closer to achieving the goal
of gender equality and make direct social, market and global
economic impacts, according to a compelling report launched today
by BNY Mellon and the UN Foundation.
The report, Return on Equality: Investment Opportunities to
Help Close the Global Gender Gap, reveals new insights that
underscore the urgency and opportunities for closing the global
gender gap and proposes steps investors can take to advance
progress towards the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal
5: "Achieve gender equality and empower all women and
girls."
"We not only have a moral imperative to bridge the global gender
gap, but the potential market benefits and investment opportunities
in doing so are pivotal," according to Michael Cole-Fontayn,
Executive Vice President, and Chairman of Europe, Middle
East and Africa (EMEA).
"Companies engaging in 'gender-lens' investing have typically
supported women-led businesses and those promoting gender
diversity. However, there is an increasing need to focus on the
third (and less common) type of investing, in companies that
advance gender equality through their products and services."
Investors can now pursue these three gender-lens investment
strategies through a variety of investment vehicles, including
index funds and exchange traded funds (ETFs), venture capital and
private equity opportunities, and innovative financing structures,
such as private debt vehicles. However, investment vehicles related
to products and services that advance gender equality are far and
few in between.
The five sectors examined in this report that present investment
opportunities in products and services and further the advancement
of women have an estimated market impact nearing U.S. $300 billion alone in incremental annual
opportunity globally by 2025. They include telecommunications,
contraception, childcare, water and energy.
"Achieving global gender equality will require sustained
leadership and investment by the public and private sectors and
will contribute to the empowerment of women and girls, and have
significant positive social, market and economic impact," said
Jyoti Chopra, BNY Mellon Global Head
of Diversity & Inclusion. "Major barriers to women and girls
pursuing economic opportunities are still pervasive and it is our
priority to address these issues and improve lives through
investing to add value and impact to the global community and
economy."
To move forward with advancing global gender equality,
individual investors, asset managers, and companies can take the
following initial steps:
- Institutional Investors – Incorporate a
products-and-services approach into existing gender-lens investing
and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing
strategies.
- Individual Investors – Shift investments toward
companies that offer products and services that support gender
equality, focusing on companies that have committed to quantifiable
goals or measures.
- Asset Managers – Create new funds and financial
instruments for institutional and individual investors focused on
companies offering products and services that support gender
equality.
"Individuals and companies worldwide reevaluating their current
investment strategies to focus on gender-lens investing are taking
that first step to contribute to the ambitious goal of achieving
gender equality and empowerment for women and girls by 2030," said
Heidi DuBois, BNY Mellon Global Head
of Corporate Social Responsibility and Social Finance. "Narrowing
the gap has major positive ramifications for achieving other
sustainable development goals, such as education and health."
"The Sustainable Development Goals are designed to lift a
billion people out of extreme poverty by 2030, but we won't get
there if half the world's population are left on the sidelines,"
said Ambassador Elizabeth Cousens,
Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the United Nations Foundation.
"From promoting diversity in their work forces to delivering
products and services that empower women, the private sector has a
critical role to play - and market gains to accrue - in advancing
gender equality."
The long-term key to success in achieving a 'Return on Equality'
is putting in place the right metrics and an opportunity for
third-party assessment. Independent third-party evaluation and
certification allows a broader range of companies to participate in
the process, reducing competitor concerns, improving comparison,
establishing a set benchmark across companies and sectors, and
increasing accountability for companies to perform against a
standardized set of metrics. The right metrics will keep
individuals and businesses on track as they contribute to the goal
of achieving gender equality in developed and developing countries
alike.
About BNY Mellon
BNY Mellon is the corporate brand of The Bank of New York Mellon
Corporation (NYSE: BK). As the Investments Company for the World,
BNY Mellon holds a responsibility to clients, its people, and the
world. Our vision is improving lives through investing— an
aspiration that motivates us to maintain the highest standards of
client focus, integrity, teamwork, and excellence. Our varied
backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences spark fresh thinking,
helping us to blaze new paths to progress and deliver profitable
returns for our clients and our investors. Most of all, our
diversity brings us the dimension we need to shape the future of
finance. Together, we can contribute to the resiliency of global
markets and solutions for some of the world's most pressing issues,
building healthy economies and sustainable communities over
time.
This release is for informational purposes only. BNY Mellon
provides no advice nor recommendation or endorsement with respect
to any company or securities. Nothing herein shall be deemed to
constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy
securities. Depositary Receipts: Not FDIC, State or Federal Agency
Insured; May Lose Value; No Bank, State or Federal Agency
Guarantee. BNY Mellon provides no advice nor recommendations or
endorsement with respect to any company, security or products based
on any index licensed by BNY Mellon, and we make no representation
regarding the advisability of investing in the same.
About the United Nations Foundation
The United Nations Foundation builds public-private partnerships
to address the world's most pressing problems, and broadens support
for the United Nations through advocacy and public outreach.
Through innovative campaigns and initiatives, the Foundation
connects people, ideas, and resources to help the UN solve global
problems. The Foundation was created in 1998 as a U.S. public
charity by entrepreneur and philanthropist Ted Turner and now is supported by
philanthropic, corporate, government, and individual donors. Learn
more at: www.unfoundation.org.
Contact:
BNY Mellon
Amanda Changuris
412-234-9131
amanda.changuris@bnymellon.com
UN Foundation
Raki Wane
202-372-9068
rwane@unfoundation.org
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SOURCE BNY Mellon