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Gender Strategy Toolkit

Gender Strategy Toolkit

Turning Gender Commitments into Action

Many financial institutions recognise the importance of gender equity. Turning that commitment into meaningful change, however, can be challenging.

Enabling Qapital developed the Gender Strategy Toolkit to help financial institutions take practical steps towards greater gender inclusion. It offers a structured way to reflect on existing practices, identify areas for improvement and turn ambition into action – both within the organisation and in the financial services it provides.

The aim is to help institutions create better outcomes for women as employees, entrepreneurs and clients, while strengthening their approach to gender inclusion over time.

Why Gender Inclusion Matters

Microfinance was built on the promise of expanding opportunities for women. Yet gender gaps persist, both within financial institutions and across the services they offer.

From representation in leadership and workplace culture to access to finance, product design and the use of gender-disaggregated data, there is still work to be done. These gaps can affect not only the opportunities available to women, but also an institution’s performance and impact.

Many institutions recognise the value of gender inclusion but need practical ways to put that understanding into practice. The Gender Strategy Toolkit helps bridge this gap, offering a clear starting point for assessing current practices, setting priorities and identifying meaningful next steps.

Four Areas of Focus

Gender inclusion touches many parts of an institution. The toolkit brings these into focus across four connected areas.

  • Governance and Strategy

    Making gender inclusion part of leadership, governance and the institution’s overall direction.

  • Workforce and Culture

    Creating a more inclusive workplace through policies, recruitment, leadership development and employee engagement.

  • Products and Client Outreach

    Understanding how financial services can better respond to the needs of women entrepreneurs and underserved clients.

  • Data and Measurement

    Using gender-disaggregated data to understand current performance, set meaningful targets and track progress.

Five-step journey of the Gender Strategy Toolkit: 1 (Re)affirm commitment, 2 Assess readiness, 3 Gather and review data, 4 Set targets and formalise strategy, 5 Implement and monitor

How the Toolkit Works

There is no single path towards greater gender inclusion. The toolkit offers a practical, step-by-step approach that helps institutions understand where they stand and decide where to focus their efforts.

  1. (Re)affirm Commitment
    Build a shared understanding of the business case for gender inclusion and establish commitment across the organisation, starting with leadership.
  2. Assess Readiness
    Take stock of existing practices and establish a clear starting point through a structured self-assessment.
  3. Gather and Review Data
    Look at workforce and client-level information to understand what is working, where gaps remain and where change could make a difference.
  4. Set Targets and Formalise Strategy
    Turn these insights into clear priorities, measurable targets and practical objectives for gender inclusion.
  5. Implement and Monitor
    Put plans into action, follow progress and refine the approach as the institution learns what works.

Explore the Toolkit

The toolkit brings together practical resources to help institutions move from reflection to action. Whether you are introducing the topic to colleagues, assessing current practices or shaping your institution’s approach, the resources below offer a starting point.

Questions about the toolkit? Get in touch with the EQ team at sustainability@enabling.ch.

Group photo of EQ, SIPA students and ASA Kenya representatives in front of the ASA office in Nairobi

Tested Through Practice

The Gender Strategy Toolkit has evolved through pilot projects with financial institutions in different markets. Working with these institutions has helped EQ test the approach, learn from practical experience and develop a framework for monitoring progress and capturing lessons along the way.

Rose Kinyua, Associate Vice President at EQ, SIPA students and ASA Kenya representatives during a field visit in Nairobi, Kenya, March 2026.

  • TuranBank, Azerbaijan

    TuranBank was involved in an early pilot of the toolkit. The institution assessed its HR and credit processes, tested the Gender Metrics Dashboard and engaged staff across headquarters and branches to identify opportunities to strengthen gender inclusion. Follow-up work focused on understanding implementation progress and informing the toolkit’s Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) framework.

  • VisionFund

    VisionFund is taking part in a later phase of toolkit development and testing. Its involvement includes testing the MEL framework and sharing practical insights to help refine the toolkit further.

  • ASA Kenya

    ASA Kenya helped extend the toolkit’s development beyond the original pilot markets. A field visit involving EQ, SIPA students and ASA Kenya representatives supported the piloting of the toolkit and contributed to the development of the MEL framework. The experience is helping EQ refine an approach that can be applied across different institutions and regional contexts.

Gender Community of Practice

Learning from one another can be just as valuable as learning from a tool. That is the idea behind Enabling Qapital’s Gender Community of Practice: bringing financial institutions together to exchange experiences, share practical insights and learn from approaches to gender inclusion across different contexts.

The Community of Practice is intended to complement the toolkit with opportunities for continued learning and collaboration, including:

  • Peer exchange: Sharing experiences, challenges and approaches with colleagues from other financial institutions.
  • Guided diagnostics: Using structured tools to explore gender-related gaps and identify priorities.
  • Webinars and workshops: Deepening knowledge and discussing practical questions together.
  • Technical assistance: Supporting institutions as they translate findings into action.
  • Benchmarking and learning resources: Drawing on shared insights to reflect on progress and identify opportunities for improvement.

By connecting institutions and encouraging an open exchange of experience, the Community of Practice will help participants put ideas into practice while contributing to the ongoing development of the toolkit.

Join the Community of Practice

Interested in exchanging experiences and learning alongside other financial institutions? Register your interest using the form below.

For any enquiries, the Enabling Qapital team can be reached at sustainability@enabling.ch.