ADVERTISEMENT
TechEconomy
Friday, May 30, 2025
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Tech
    • DisruptiveTECH
    • ConsumerTech
      • Accessories
      • Phones
      • Laptop
      • Gadgets and Appliances
      • Apps
    • How To
    • TechTAINMENT
  • Business
    • Telecoms
      • Broadband
    • Mobility
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Commerce
    • StartUPs
    • TE Insights
    • Security
  • Partners
  • Economy
    • Finance
    • Fintech
    • Digital Assets
    • Personal Finance
    • Insurance
  • Features
    • IndustryINFLUENCERS
    • Guest Writer
    • Appointment
    • EventDIARY
    • Editorial
  • Apply
  • TecheconomyTV
  • Techeconomy Events
  • BusinesSENSE For SMEs
  • TBS
  • News
  • Tech
    • DisruptiveTECH
    • ConsumerTech
      • Accessories
      • Phones
      • Laptop
      • Gadgets and Appliances
      • Apps
    • How To
    • TechTAINMENT
  • Business
    • Telecoms
      • Broadband
    • Mobility
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Commerce
    • StartUPs
    • TE Insights
    • Security
  • Partners
  • Economy
    • Finance
    • Fintech
    • Digital Assets
    • Personal Finance
    • Insurance
  • Features
    • IndustryINFLUENCERS
    • Guest Writer
    • Appointment
    • EventDIARY
    • Editorial
  • Apply
  • TecheconomyTV
  • Techeconomy Events
  • BusinesSENSE For SMEs
  • TBS
No Result
View All Result
Tech | Business | Economy
No Result
View All Result
Podcast

Home » International Day of Women and Girls in Science: Tokunboh Ishmael on Why $42B Gender Gap is Holding Africa Back

International Day of Women and Girls in Science: Tokunboh Ishmael on Why $42B Gender Gap is Holding Africa Back

Joan Aimuengheuwa by Joan Aimuengheuwa
February 11, 2025
in WomenPreneurs
0
International Day of Women and Girls in Science: Tokunboh Ishmael on Why $42B Gender Gap is Holding Africa Back
Tokunboh Ishmael, managing director and co-founder of Alitheia Capital

Tokunboh Ishmael, managing director and co-founder of Alitheia Capital

RelatedPosts

Mentorship and Authenticity Matter in Women’s Leadership

More Than a Seat at the Table: Why Mentorship and Authenticity Matter in Women’s Leadership

May 7, 2025

Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Women Speak Out on Workplace Discrimination and the Power of Collective Action

May 6, 2025

For an economy that prides itself on growth, it’s ironic how often half of its talent is overlooked, leaving a huge gender gap.

Women-led businesses in Africa face a $42 billion financing gap, yet studies consistently show that gender-diverse companies outperform others by at least 20%. If African economies fully embraced inclusivity, GDP could rise by over 13%.

Today, the world marks the International Day of Women and Girls in Science and it’s necessary to move beyond rhetoric and focus on practical solutions that break long-standing limitations. 

At the Gender Bonds Toolkit Dissemination Workshop organised by FSD Africa, Techeconomy had an insightful conversation with Tokunboh Ishmael, managing director and co-founder of Alitheia Capital. 

She shared her journey in ensuring gender-focused investments, the strategies used to break investor scepticism, and the systemic changes required to promote an inclusive business environment.

Breaking Investor Scepticism on Gender Initiatives

TE: While speaking earlier, you mentioned that it took years to convince investors to support the gender initiative. What strategies were you able to use to break the scepticism behind it or to gain traction for initiatives that address gender-based inequalities?

TI: In the first instance, we showed that there was actually an economic gain and impact from including everybody. When you heard me earlier, I said that everyone should picture their favourite football team playing with just half of the players—were they likely to win? And everybody was like, no, they’re going to lose.

We showed that there was economic potential. The female economy is worth $12 trillion globally. The African economy could have an uplift of over 13% in GDP contribution if we build more inclusive companies and economies. 

At the company level, you have better decision-making at boards, better governance, and better ideas that create products benefiting everyone.

Another key thing we did was launch a Gender Lens Toolkit for investing in companies, showing how, at every stage of the investment process, gender is a factor for success. 

It provides a framework to rate companies from gender-negative to gender-strategic and guides them in developing gender action plans. These plans help businesses diversify their income, increase revenue, and drive down costs.

Research has shown that gender-diverse companies outperform by at least 20%. In showing this and providing practical guidance on gender-smart investing, we were able to convince investors to come along.

Measuring the Impact of Gender-Focused Investments

TE: With over 70% of your fund investors focused on women, what tools or metrics do you use to measure the long-term impact of this investment on local economies and communities?

TI: Just as I mentioned, we track several key areas:

  • Female Founders: We intentionally invest in female-led businesses, which is why we can maintain a portfolio where over 70% of our investments go to women.
  • Board Representation: In many companies, boards are overwhelmingly male, with women as the minority or even nonexistent. We work on increasing female representation.
  • Employment Practices: We assess hiring policies to ensure more high-level jobs are accessible to women.
  • Product Inclusion: We ensure that the products developed by these businesses support not just half of the population but the entire population. Being intentional about creating essential products for female consumers is key.

Beyond Funding: Systemic Changes to Support Women in Business

TE: You mentioned the $42 billion financing gap for women-led businesses in Africa. Beyond funding, what systemic changes or policies do you believe are essential to creating an enabling environment for women?

TI: First of all, we need intentionality—both in investment and policymaking. We need policies ensuring that capital allocation isn’t overwhelmingly skewed toward men. There must be diversity at the investment allocation stage, meaning pension funds, insurance companies, and other investors must actively consider female-led businesses.

Why? Because you know what you know—if investors don’t have diverse perspectives, they won’t naturally identify opportunities that target women.

So, for me, the key elements are:

  • Intentionality in investment decisions.
  • Diverse allocation of capital at the funding stage.
  • A clear goal to ensure Africa reaches its full economic potential through inclusive investing.

Again, the enabling business environment plays a huge role. It’s not just about injecting money into businesses; it’s also about ensuring lower costs of doing business, improved infrastructure, and overall business-friendly policies. 

Most SMEs in Africa are led by women, so when we talk about creating a better ecosystem, we are indirectly supporting these women-led businesses.

Solving the Root Cause of Gender Inequality

TE: Many organisations have launched initiatives to bridge gender inequality, yet the gap remains wide. What is the root problem that we need to address?

TI: Money makes the world go round, and we need to move beyond lip service when it comes to capital allocation.

The gender financing gap amounts to billions of dollars. Our fund is just $100 million, which is a drop in the ocean compared to the need.

If we continue prioritising only short-term, high-gain investments, then we’re not serious about sustainable development. Leaders in Nigeria and Africa must put their money where their mouth is.

When leaders talk about Nigeria being a tough place to invest, they should realise that they have the power to change that narrative. Investment in sustainable growth means investing in:

  • The future of every African,
  • The future of every Nigerian,
  • And creating an environment where every citizen can reach their full potential.

Our conversation with Tokunboh Ishmael stressed the need to ensure financial access for female-led businesses. Bridging the gender gap has become an economic necessity. 

Today we celebrate International Day of Women and Girls in Science, and it’s time to stop treating gender inclusion as a side issue and recognise it as the foundation for long-term prosperity.

Loading

Advertisements
MTN ADS

0Shares
Tags: AfricaAlitheia CapitalFSD AfricaGender Bonds ToolkitGender Bonds Toolkit Dissemination WorkshopGender GapInternational Day of Women and Girls in ScienceTokunboh IshmaelWomen-led businesses
Previous Post

UTME: Under-16 Candidates Must Score 320 to Gain Admission – JAMB

Next Post

Lagos Digital PR Summit Celebrates 10 Years of Excellence

Joan Aimuengheuwa

Joan Aimuengheuwa

Joan thrives at helping individuals and businesses scale via storytelling...

Related Posts

Mentorship and Authenticity Matter in Women’s Leadership
WomenPreneurs

More Than a Seat at the Table: Why Mentorship and Authenticity Matter in Women’s Leadership

by Techeconomy
May 7, 2025
0

Despite decades of initiatives aimed at promoting gender equality, women continue to face significant barriers in the business world. In...

Read more
Breaking the Glass Ceiling | Workplaces Discrimination - Linda Ochugbua

Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Women Speak Out on Workplace Discrimination and the Power of Collective Action

May 6, 2025
Dr. Leo Stan Ekeh, chairman of Zinox Group | 10,000 Female Tech Professionals

Leo Stan Ekeh’s Vision of Empowering 10,000 Female Tech Professionals

April 30, 2025
Ajoke Akinlabi

Ajoke Akinlabi: Turning Quiet Grit into Bold Leadership

April 29, 2025
How PR Shapes African Tech Growth

The Silent Partner: How PR Shapes African Tech Growth

April 25, 2025
TD Africa | TecHERdemy

TD Africa’s TecHERdemy Celebrates 400 Female Graduands

April 23, 2025
Next Post
Nigeria Digital PR Summit logo master

Lagos Digital PR Summit Celebrates 10 Years of Excellence

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

I agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Techeconomy Podcast

Techeconomy Podcast
Techeconomy Podcast

Infowave is brought to you by TechEconomy. Every week we will bring new stories from startups and influencers who are shaping and changing the world we live in. We’ll also bring you reports on topics you should know.

Follow us @techeconomyng for more.

TECH TALK EPISODE 2
byTecheconomy

PRODUCTIVITY AND WORK-Life Balance

TECH TALK EPISODE 2
TECH TALK EPISODE 2
May 22, 2025
Techeconomy
CYBERSECURITY ESSENTIALS
April 24, 2025
Techeconomy
Digital Marketing Trends and strategies for 2025 and beyond
February 27, 2025
Techeconomy
Major Lesson for Techies in 2024 and Projections for 2025
December 6, 2024
Techeconomy
Major Lessons for Techies in an AI-Driven World | Techeconomy Business Series Highlights
November 26, 2024
Techeconomy
Maximizing Profitability Through Seasonal Sales: Strategies For Success
November 8, 2024
Techeconomy
Techeconomy Business Series
October 15, 2024
Techeconomy
PRIVACY IN THE ERA OF AI: GETTING YOUR BUSINESS READY
May 30, 2024
Techeconomy
Unravel the Secrets of Marketing Everywhere All At Once with Isaac Akanni from Infobip | Infowave Podcast Episode 1
February 9, 2024
Techeconomy
The Role of Ed-tech in Life Long Learning and Continuous Education
October 19, 2023
Techeconomy
Search Results placeholder

WHAT IS TRENDING

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_MCUwS2woc&list=PL6bbK-xx1KbIgX-IzYdqISXq1pUsuA4dz

Follow Us

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Careers
  • Privacy Policy

© 2025 Techeconomy - Designed by Opimedia.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Tech
    • DisruptiveTECH
    • ConsumerTech
      • Accessories
      • Phones
      • Laptop
      • Gadgets and Appliances
      • Apps
    • How To
    • TechTAINMENT
  • Business
    • Telecoms
      • Broadband
    • Mobility
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Commerce
    • StartUPs
    • TE Insights
    • Security
  • Partners
  • Economy
    • Finance
    • Fintech
    • Digital Assets
    • Personal Finance
    • Insurance
  • Features
    • IndustryINFLUENCERS
    • Guest Writer
    • Appointment
    • EventDIARY
    • Editorial
  • Apply
  • TecheconomyTV
  • Techeconomy Events
  • BusinesSENSE For SMEs
  • TBS

© 2025 Techeconomy - Designed by Opimedia.

Translate »
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.