In the lead-up to International Women’s Day, the EIB Group announced a series of transformative initiatives aimed at promoting gender equality and empowering women economically. Revealed during its annual Forum, these initiatives highlight the Group’s commitment to driving inclusive growth by leveraging capital markets, innovative financing tools and strategic partnerships.
Sustainability Awareness Bonds extended to gender equality
The EIB extended the scope of its Sustainability Awareness Bond (SAB) to cover two new social objectives: gender equality and women’s economic empowerment. The proceeds of the bonds can now be allocated to projects around the world supporting access to finance for women, female entrepreneurship and promoting gender equality.
EIB President Nadia Calviño emphasised the importance of this extension, stating, “Investing in women entrepreneurs and gender equality is not only the right thing to do but also the smart thing to do. Gender equality brings growth, prosperity to our economies. The extension of our Sustainability Awareness Bond shows how we can mobilise capital markets and deploy sustainable finance to do this.”
InvestEU Gender Finance Lab for commercial banks
In collaboration with the European Commission, the EIB has launched the “Gender Finance Lab for commercial banks” under the InvestEU Advisory Hub. This advisory programme is designed to assist EU commercial banks in enhancing access to finance for women-owned and women-led businesses.
The initiative will kick off with 25 European banks participating in a masterclass program focused on closing the gender finance gap and leveraging the economic potential of women entrepreneurs. By equipping financial institutions with the tools and strategies to effectively support women-led SMEs, the lab aims to unlock untapped opportunities in the market.
€150 million loan fully dedicated to support women entrepreneurs in Spain
Just before the launch of the Gender Finance Lab, the EIB and CBNK (the bank for key engineering and health professionals formed by the merger of Banco Caminos and Bancofar) announced a historic initiative to support women entrepreneurs in the pharmaceutical sector in Spain. The operation represents the first EIB intermediated loan within the EU that is fully dedicated to supporting women entrepreneurs. It will benefit women who want to start or grow in the pharmaceutical sector, in urban and rural areas. This would represent around 600 pharmacies across the country. It will involve access to loans of an average size of 450,000 euros, with which women entrepreneurs can finance from the establishment of their business (purchase of licenses), working capital (stocks) or materials such as counters, shelves or computer equipment.
Despite making up a majority of the workforce in the pharmacy sector, women continue to face barriers such as limited access to finance, wage gaps and underrepresentation in leadership positions. This operation seeks to address these challenges by providing tailored financial support to women entrepreneurs and business leaders, enabling them to scale their businesses and contribute to Spain’s economic growth.
CBNK is among the 25 European banks that have already joined the InvestEU Gender Finance Lab.
€175 million loan to enhance Barcelona’s urban development, prioritizing women's needs
The EIB signed a €175 million loan with the city of Barcelona to finance urban regeneration and climate strategies. Announced by President Nadia Calviño and Mayor of Barcelona Jaume Collboni, the financing package will support urban development and climate strategy in the city, with a focus on sustainability and inclusion. It will particularly consider the needs of women and seek to improve their access to urban infrastructure and services. This approach is aligned with the EIB Group Gender Strategy and action plan and demonstrates how inclusive urban design can foster economic opportunities.
Women Climate Leaders Network celebrates one year of advocacy
March 2025 marks the first anniversary of the Women Climate Leaders Network (WCLN), launched by the EIB Group to champion sustainable practices and empower businesses in their green transition. Over the past year, the network has developed actionable recommendations to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and mid-sized companies adopt greener approaches and scale climate-friendly innovations, that they shared with EU policymakers at the EIB Group Forum.
Recommendations include local knowledge-sharing platforms, simplified reporting, capacity building, and linking green to business benefits. Additionally, the Network advocates for enhanced policies to scale green innovation through temporary tax incentives, adjusted financial regulations, and regulatory sandboxes. The Network confirms that a single point of entry guidance for the next Multiannual Financial Framework - EU's long-term budget - will be crucial in informing SMEs about available EU financing.
As the Women Climate Leaders Network enters its second year, it remains dedicated to empowering businesses in the EU’s transition to a greener, more inclusive future.
Stanbic Bank and EIB Global launch €20 million credit line for SMEs and women entrepreneurs in Zimbabwe
The EIB and Stanbic have launched a €20 million (ZWG 525.9 million) credit line to provide longer-term loans at favourable conditions to small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) in Zimbabwe. The facility will focus on SMEs and businesses owned or run by women, which employ a significant number of women, or which offer services specifically to women.
The African continent has one of the highest percentages of women entrepreneurs in the world. More than half the SMEs in Zimbabwe are led by women, while over half of Zimbabwean companies say that limited access to credit is preventing their growth. In line with the EU’s Global Gateway which contributes to narrowing the global investment gap worldwide, the EIB-Stanbic facility will address this financing gap with financial tools targeting the needs of women entrepreneurs and advance women's economic empowerment in Zimbabwe. It contributes to the 2X Challenge, an initiative to mobilise investment that increases women’s participation in the economy in emerging markets, by improving women’s access to finance, leadership opportunities and quality employment.
EIB and WHO to strengthen public health across Lebanon, including reproductive health and prevention of gender-based violence
The EIB and the World Health Organization (WHO) have formally launched a €10 million grant support to boost health resilience across Lebanon, including combating medicine scarcity and fragmented laboratory services. This agreement will also unlock provision of essential medicines and expert support to primary healthcare centres across Lebanon. This will enable public healthcare centres to restore services, including reproductive health and prevention of gender-based violence, addressing specific gender gaps in services.
The cooperation was signed at the EIB Forum by WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and EIB Vice President Thomas Östros and will support the re-establishment of the Central Public Health Laboratory in Lebanon crucial for enhancing the detection capacity for emerging infectious diseases.
For more information: Gender equality and women’s economic empowerment