Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Define and categorize the various approaches to **Gender Lens Investing (GLI)** (e.g., firm-level, product-level, sector-level) and their regulatory relevance.
• Develop and enforce a standardized set of **gender and inclusion metrics** (e.g., female ownership, leadership, financial access) for reporting by regulated institutions.
• Design a **supervisory checklist and audit protocol** to verify the integrity and prevent the risk of "gender-washing" in investment reporting.
• Analyze the product design and marketing practices of institutions to ensure they genuinely address **gender-based market barriers** and promote suitability.
• Understand the regulatory policy tools (e.g., capital incentives, reporting requirements) that can be used to promote financial inclusion for women.
• Assess the **operational and reputational risk** associated with poor GLI practices and non-compliance with inclusion mandates.
• Formulate a policy stance on the integration of gender data into broader financial stability and market conduct supervision.
• Master the use of **disaggregated data** to monitor gender gaps in access to finance, employment, and leadership within the financial sector.

• Financial Supervisors and Examiners of DFIs and NBFIs.
• Regulatory Policy Developers specializing in Financial Inclusion and Gender Finance.
• Gender Lens Investment Specialists and Impact Auditors.
• Risk and Compliance Officers at Institutions Engaged in GLI.
• Government and Central Bank Economists focused on Women's Economic Empowerment.

• Gender Metric Definition and Data Disaggregation Workshops
• Supervisory Audit Simulation Exercises for Gender-Washing Prevention
• Case Studies on Successful and Unsuccessful GLI Strategies and Regulatory Responses
• Group Activities on Designing a Regulatory Incentive for Women-Owned SME Lending
• Expert Lectures on the 2X Challenge Criteria and Global GLI Standards
• Individual Exercises on Analyzing Financial Sector Gender Gap Data and Policy Responses

Unit 1: Foundations of Gender Lens Investing and Inclusion

• Defining GLI and its importance in addressing gender-based market failures and inequality.
• Mapping the GLI spectrum: from gender-aware screening to gender-intentional impact.
• Review of international frameworks (e.g., UN SDGs, 2X Challenge) and their application to financial regulation.
• The business case for GLI: diversity, performance, and risk mitigation.
• The role of the central bank/regulator in promoting inclusive and gender-sensitive financial systems.

Unit 2: Standardizing Gender and Inclusion Metrics

• Identifying core **gender metrics** for internal and external reporting (e.g., female board members, management, staff, client base).
• Developing standardized definitions and methodologies for key financial inclusion metrics (e.g., access, usage, quality).
• Protocols for mandatory **data disaggregation** by gender, age, and geography in regulatory returns.
• The challenge of data quality and collection in high-volume, low-resource settings.
• Designing the supervisory reporting template for GLI and inclusion performance.

Unit 3: Supervision and Preventing Gender-Washing

• Developing a **supervisory audit protocol** focused on verifying the substance of GLI claims.
• Analyzing the alignment between an institution's stated GLI strategy and its actual lending/investment behavior.
• Assessing the risk of **"gender-washing"** (misleading claims) and the associated reputational risk.
• Protocols for reviewing the product design process to ensure genuine benefit and non-discrimination.
• The role of market conduct supervision in preventing mis-selling of "gender-specific" financial products.

Unit 4: Policy Tools for Inclusive Finance

• Review of regulatory policy tools used to incentivize GLI and financial inclusion (e.g., credit guarantee schemes, capital relief).
• Analyzing the effectiveness and unintended consequences of **quota systems** for female leadership and lending.
• Protocols for using supervisory data to measure and report on the national gender gap in financial access.
• The role of financial literacy and consumer protection in sustaining inclusion gains.
• Formulating policy recommendations for reducing collateral and legal barriers for female entrepreneurs.

Unit 5: Governance and Future Trends

• Assessing the **governance framework** for inclusion, including Board oversight and management accountability for GLI.
• The importance of internal culture and pipeline development in achieving gender parity within financial institutions.
• Integrating gender metrics into the institution's overall **Risk Appetite Statement (RAS)** and compensation structure.
• Future trends: the use of FinTech and digital tools to close gender gaps in access to finance.
• International cooperation and the sharing of best practices in GLI supervision.