Resources

Mobilising Investment in Women’s Health and Rights: Reflection From 16 Days of Activism

The annual 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, which runs from November 25th (International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women) to December 10th (Human Rights Day), provides an important opportunity to raise awareness and mobilize resources to support these efforts. The numbers are still very disturbing across Africa and the globe: more than 5 women or girls are killed every hour by someone in their family; One in three women have been subjected to violence at least once in their lifetime.

With the prevalence of what is considered the most pervasive human rights violation, the prosperity of many societies has been drawn back and we must rally and educate everyone to fight against gender-based violence in our bid to achieve equality and a just world. While it is important that we amplify our voices to join the fight against gender-based violence, mobilizing investment in women’s health and rights is crucial for promoting gender equality and improving the overall health and well-being of women and girls.

Investing in women’s health and rights has numerous benefits. This includes: improved maternal and child health, reduced rates of HIV and other infectious diseases, and increased economic opportunities for women. This in turn can have a positive impact on communities, as well as on the global economy.

To mobilize investment in women’s health and rights, it is important to focus on several key areas. First, there needs to be a strong commitment from governments, donors, and other stakeholders to prioritize and fund these efforts. This can include targeted investments in health care services, education and training programs, and economic empowerment initiatives for women and girls.

Second, it is crucial to engage with and empower women and girls themselves, as well as their communities, to ensure that their voices are heard and their needs are met. This can include providing training and support to women’s organizations and community-based groups, as well as working with local leaders and decision-makers to advocate for policies and programs that support women’s health and rights.

Finally, it is important to monitor and evaluate the impact of these investments, to ensure that they are effectively addressing the needs of women and girls, and to make any necessary adjustments to improve their effectiveness. This can involve gathering data and evidence, conducting research, and engaging in ongoing dialogue and collaboration with key stakeholders.

As a reflection of our works in the social impact space, Sociocapital strongly believes that mobilizing investment in women’s health and rights is essential for promoting gender equality and improving the lives of women and girls around the world. By focusing on key areas and engaging with stakeholders at all levels, we can help ensure that these investments are effective and sustainable and that they result in real and lasting change for women and girls.

New Fund for Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response Formally Established

Synopsis 

The devastating human, economic, and social cost of COVID-19 has highlighted the urgent need for coordinated action to build stronger health systems and mobilize additional resources for pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response. While there are many institutions and financing mechanisms that support pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response activities, none of them is focused solely on it.

The new financial intermediary fund (FIF) for pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response (PPR) was officially established by the FIF Governing Board at its inaugural meeting in September 2022.

The fund will provide a dedicated stream of additional, long-term financing to strengthen PPR capabilities in low- and middle-income countries and address critical gaps through investments and technical support at the national, regional, and global levels. 

The fund will draw on the strengths and comparative advantages of key institutions engaged in PPR, provide complementary support, improve coordination among partners, incentivize increased country investments, serve as a platform for advocacy, and help focus and sustain much-needed, high-level attention on strengthening health systems.

Hello Philanthropy! Let’s Make A Deal

We all know by now that we are warming the planet at an alarming rate due to our runaway greenhouse gas emissions and that we’re going to have to decarbonize very rapidly and arrive at net-zero emissions by mid-century in order to have a fighting chance to keep global temperature rise to below 1.5oC.

We also know that this is achievable, but it will take strong and unwavering policy action from governments, greater international cooperation, effort from all of us—and money. A lot of money: McKinsey estimates that more than $9 trillion per year on average will need to be spent between now and 2050 on physical assets for energy and land use systems. Not all of this is “new” spending, but even so, we will need to invest $3.5 trillion per year more than we currently do while reorienting some of our current spending away from carbon-intensive activity.

And just as we will all need to work together to decarbonize, we will need to bring all sources of capital to bear to pay for all this.

The bulk of the investment will have to come from the private sector. Companies will need to invest to concretize their net-zero commitments. They will need to raise debt and equity from capital markets, so financial institutions will play a critical role. In addition to setting the right policies, the public sector will need to invest, either directly in state-owned assets or indirectly, through (fiscal) support for private investment. Multilateral institutions—development banks as well as climate finance facilities like the Green Climate Fund—will need to step up and help countries make some of these investments. And developed nations will need to make good on their commitments to financially help developing countries achieve climate goals.