Portfolio Review of Gender Integration in the Climate Investment Funds

Climate Investment Funds (CIF) aims to advance both gender equality and achieve climate-smart development. Since climate change impacts are not gender-neutral, a gender-responsive, socially just, and inclusive strategy is needed. Through its “Gender Policy”, CIF emphasizes the centrality of gender equality efforts in its mandate to accelerate climate action. Its “Gender Action Plan (GAP) — Phase 1” helped to mainstream gender into CIF’s policy and programming. Phase 2 embraced a goal of contributing toward a systematic change in women’s asset position, voice, and livelihood status, and Phase 3 placed an emphasis on pushing for change in markets and institutions.

The objective of this study is to understand the quality of gender integration in CIF’s investment plan and project portfolio at entry, as well as review the reporting on gender results. By examining 12 investment plans and 40 sampled projects (see Annex I) through a desk review and in-depth interviews, the study identifies key gender equality outcome areas and determines the extent to which related gender gaps are part of the rationale for the investment plans and projects. Furthermore, it provides recommendations on how CIF can further strengthen gender integration across its investments.