It’s in the headlines. It’s on every conference agenda. Gender equality (SDG 5) is one of the most visible Sustainable Development Goals out there. But here’s the paradox: while awareness is higher than ever, action on the ground remains stagnant.
To give you an idea of how dire the situation is: less than 1% of global aid goes directly to women’s rights organizations. That’s a staggering disconnect between the conversation and the change we urgently need.
So, what’s really going on? And what’s Enviu’s role in all of this?
Why funding doesn’t follow the “hype”
1. Funding often follows short-term, measurable outcomes
Many funders are drawn to initiatives that show clear, quick results. However, shifting gender norms often unfolds over years, not months. As a result, it can be harder to secure funding for systemic change, even when it’s essential for long-term progress.
2. Women-led and grassroots organizations are systematically underfunded
These groups, often working closest to the communities they serve, deliver real impact. But they frequently lack the connections, technical language, or administrative infrastructure that large donors and funding programs expect.
3. Gender equality is everyone’s priority, but no one’s budget line
It’s frequently bundled into other development goals like education, health, climate, but rarely gets dedicated investment. This mainstreaming sounds inclusive, but in the end, it actually dilutes the level of accountability.
4. Power dynamics remain unchallenged
Talking about equality is one thing; shifting resources and decision-making power is another. That shift is uncomfortable for systems built on maintaining the status quo.
The consequence? The 2030 target is slipping away
With the current progress rates, it will take over 130 years to close the global gender gap, according to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2025 which stands at 68.8% closed today.
So what’s being overlooked within the SDG?
Even within the gender equality agenda, not all issues are getting equal attention. For example:
Intersectionality
Gender doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Many people experience inequality in overlapping ways. For example, an Indigenous woman or a woman with a disability may face multiple layers of discrimination, based on gender, ethnicity, ability, or socioeconomic status. These intersecting identities often mean higher barriers to safety, opportunity, and participation. Yet, mainstream gender equality efforts tend to focus on broad categories and miss these nuances. That means many of the people most affected by inequality are left out of the conversation and the solutions.
Economic empowerment
When we talk about gender equality, we often focus on education or protection from violence (both crucial). But economic power is a major piece of the puzzle, e.g. women’s employment, pay equity, financial independence, and control over resources.
Today, the economic participation gap stands at 61%, which dampens financial stability for women and their families, and for the world’s collective future. The World Economic Forum estimates closing this gap could add $12 trillion to global GDP.
Masculinity
Make no mistake. Gender equality isn’t just about women. It’s about transforming harmful norms for everyone. That includes outdated ideas about what it means to “be a man.” Norms around masculinity can discourage men from showing emotion, sharing caregiving responsibilities, or supporting gender equity efforts. Including men and boys in the conversation, and encouraging them to be allies, helps create a more equal and healthier society for all. But programs focused on reshaping masculinity or engaging male allies are still relatively rare, and often underfunded.
Addressing the “pink elephant in the room”
So here’s the reality: gender equality isn’t lacking in attention or online chatter. It’s talked about everywhere. But despite all the noise, it remains vastly underfunded, under-implemented, and often oversimplified.
The “pink elephant” in the room is this: meaningful progress requires deep, systemic change that goes beyond headlines and quick fixes. It means tackling complex issues like power imbalances, entrenched social norms, and intersectional discrimination. These challenges don’t have easy or immediate solutions, which makes many actors hesitant to commit the time, resources, and patience required.
So the big question remains: how do we move beyond conversations and commitments, and toward real, lasting impact?
The answer lies in supporting the people and initiatives driving change where it matters most: women-led organizations, grassroots changemakers, and innovative ventures that understand their communities’ unique needs. It means funding the long-term work of transforming societies.
If we want to turn the promise of gender equality into reality, we need bold investments that back systemic, inclusive, and intersectional approaches.
So how will gender equality move from headlines to real-world impact?
By supporting women-led ventures, funding grassroots changemakers and investing in the future we say we believe in.
Enviu’s venture-building approach shows how this can work in practice:
SokoFresh shows how gender-smart strategies lead to more resilient businesses
In the video below (featured by Value for Women Ltd.), SokoFresh’s CEO Denis Karema sheds light on why SokoFresh chose to explore gender inclusion within their business.
Source: Value for Women Ltd.
With women making up 43% of the global agricultural workforce, SokoFresh (an Enviu Agrifood venture) initially focused on understanding how to attract and retain more women on its team. This exploration resulted in a significant increase in its female workforce. Today, SokoFresh counts over 97 female field agents, all working under safe and supportive conditions.
Denis emphasizes that this growing representation isn’t just a matter of fairness; it directly strengthens the company’s competitiveness by fostering a more dynamic workplace culture and a greater diversity of perspectives. In his view, gender inclusion is not only the ethical thing to do, it’s a smart business decision.
Enviu Textiles has historically always empowered women
Our Textiles domain has always been a strong advocate for women’s empowerment.
For example, Khaloom (a former Enviu venture) fostered a workplace culture where women felt valued, supported, and empowered to grow. Through training in textile sustainability and waste management, we provided them with a safe work environment and the opportunity to contribute to their families’ livelihoods.
A female artisan operating a handloom
This focus on uplifting women is especially important in a sector where they make up a significant portion of the workforce, ensuring that their skills, voices, and contributions help drive the industry forward.
Take it from female entrepreneur Gigi Mathews
In a recent post, Gigi Mathews, Enviu India’s Country Director, emphasizes the transformative power of women’s empowerment in the textiles sector. She shares how even simple acts like encouraging a woman to speak at a textile waste‐sorting event boosted her confidence and inspired her to envision a legacy she could share with her children.
Through her leadership, Gigi champions the idea that when women support one another, they not only elevate individual lives but also drive systemic change in sustainability and circular textiles.
“Some ways in which I think we can create a more inclusive funding environment are by increasing awareness of the gender gap in funding, providing women entrepreneurs access to networks and mentorship, offering targeted funding and support, and encouraging diversity in the investor pool.”
Gigi Mathews
Alner creates opportunities for female micro-entrepreneurs
In 2024, Alner (a Zero Waste venture) empowered 676 micro-entrepreneurs to drive change in their communities. Sixty percent of these workers were women, including Anita Listyani, Co-Founder of Cantik Resik.
Anita started her environmental journey with her mother in 2019. Running a waste bank as a woman came with challenges, especially the stigma that waste management is a physically demanding job unsuitable for women. But alongside 20 dedicated women in her community, Anita proved otherwise. Cantik Resik is now more than just a waste collection point—it has become a hub for sustainability education, teaching waste sorting and reuse practices. Their impact speaks for itself, with 17.8k kg of waste successfully collected and repurposed in 2024.
Today, Anita Listyani actively promotes reuse systems and sells Alner products daily at Cantik Resik.
Learn more about how we’re contributing to Gender Equality
These are just a few examples of how Enviu is helping to drive gender equality, and we’re passionate about creating even more opportunities for women to grow, lead, and make an impact within these domains.
Want to learn more about our impact?
(Or stay tuned for our next post, featuring Enviu’s framework for contributing gender equality and empowering women across the world.)
