This week’s spotlight deals focus on Women’s empowerment.

A recent report explored the problems of under-investment in women-led small and growing businesses and found that there is a gap in financing available. The finance that does exist is especially difficult for women to access. On the other hand, impact investors have an opportunity to support women-led businesses, but they often lack information and access to quality deals.

Three of the latest deals from our Women’s Empowerment sector show that opportunities do exist, if you know where to look for them:

DEAL D000482 – LOCATION: GUATEMALA

Indigenous women may have experience in entrepreneurial activities such as handicrafts, but they have historically been excluded from bank credit. This often limits their possibilities of growth due to lack of working and investment capital. This project links indigenous women to working capital credit and markets in the Guatemala region in order to promote production and commercialization of handicrafts and other economic activities. The project uses a validated credit methodology used for more than 10 years in the local Credit Union, to establish a revolving credit fund to provide the women with credit at market rates.

This project is currently seeking strategic partnerships and an investment of $ 150,000.

DEAL D000404 – LOCATION: COLOMBIA

This company manufactures exotic sauces and vinaigrettes utilizing only locally sourced, native Colombian ingredients. The business sources all of its ingredients from a local network of approximately 100 smallholder farmers. The company employs primarily women, currently having a direct impact on 15 local families. They are now looking to expand their operations with the goal of further increasing their impact on the local community.

The company is currently seeking investment of $ 500.000 to $ 650.000.

DEAL D000331 – LOCATION: INDIA

This organization facilitates awareness, assistance and entrepreneurship in a manner that will not only provide support to women but ensures a sustained and self-aided livelihood in cash or kind. The organization has created a livestock exchange model. Women first pay an annual membership fee of Rs. 1500, based on which every woman is given a goat and a lamb, totaling to a worth of Rs. 15,000. The woman also agrees to give back half the number of young produced by her animals every year for three years. These kids and lambs are collected at the goat farm, where they are bred for further loaning or sale in the market, continuing the cycle.

For every goat or lamb owned by a member of the group, the equivalent value of money can be loaned at any given moment in exchange for the livestock. This means that the goats function as a ready cash exchange for the women. The project has the opportunity for further scalability through an online platform. Online, individuals can raise money, adopt a goat or lamb and see the progress and social development of the women and their families. In return, the amount raised is returned with interest.

This project is currently seeking investment of $ 55.000.

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