Women's Livelihood Bond, a seventh edition, issued by IIX with a $60 million funding allocation
The Impact Investment Exchange (IIX) has launched the first tranche of its seventh Women's Livelihood Bond (WLB7), marking a significant step forward in empowering women and disadvantaged communities in South and Southeast Asia.
WLB7, focused on providing financial support to high-impact women-led enterprises and underserved communities, targets sectors such as financial inclusion, water and sanitation, agriculture, clean energy, and solar energy. The bond aims to empower underserved women and girls while supporting Sustainable Development Goals related to gender equality (SDG 5) and climate action (SDG 13).
Key investors in WLB7 include the International Finance Corporation (IFC), APG on behalf of its pension fund client ABP, and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), which provides a 40% guarantee on the underlying portfolio. The bond, which aims to raise $60m (€51.1m) by its scheduled close at the end of July, is expected to be the largest issuance in the WLB series to date.
The bond is structured to comply with various principles and guidelines related to sustainable finance, including the Orange Bond Principles, Green Bond Principles, Social Bond Principles, and Sustainability Bond guidelines, as well as EU and UK Securitization regulations.
Sarah Ng, ANZ's director of debt capital markets, commented on the oversubscription of WLB7, highlighting the resilience of the sustainable finance market. Notably, ANZ has been involved in all seven issuances in the WLB series.
IIX has mobilized almost $500m in private-sector capital and positively impacted over 160 million lives through its various initiatives, including the WLB series. The significant investor interest in WLB7, including new investors, showcases it as a sterling example of blended finance in action.
The proceeds from WLB7 are expected to provide financial support for high-impact enterprises owned and operated by women, as well as disadvantaged communities, in India, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka. With the launch of WLB7, IIX continues to lead the way in impact investing, focusing on creating lasting, positive change in the developing world.
[1] Impact Investment Exchange. (2021). Launch of WLB7: The Impact Investment Exchange's seventh Women's Livelihood Bond. Retrieved from https://www.iixglobal.com/press/launch-of-wlb7
[2] United Nations. (n.d.). Sustainable Development Goals. Retrieved from https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/
[3] International Finance Corporation. (2021). IFC invests $10m in Impact Investment Exchange's Women's Livelihood Bond series. Retrieved from https://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/industry_ext_content/ifc_external_corporate_site/industry/news/ifc-invests-10m-in-impact-investment-exchanges-womens-livelihood-bond-series
[4] APG. (2021). APG invests $15.5m in the seventh Women's Livelihood Bond by Impact Investment Exchange. Retrieved from https://www.apg.nl/en/news/apg-invests-15-5m-in-the-seventh-womens-livelihood-bond-by-impact-investment-exchange
[5] Impact Investment Exchange. (2021). WLB7: The Impact Investment Exchange's seventh Women's Livelihood Bond. Retrieved from https://www.iixglobal.com/wlb7
- The Impact Investment Exchange (IIX) has initiated the first installment of WLB7, a significant stride in financing women-led enterprises and underserved communities in South and Southeast Asia, whose sectors of focus include financial inclusion, water and sanitation, agriculture, clean energy, and solar energy.
- By supporting sectors such as clean energy and solar energy, WLB7 aims to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to climate action (SDG 13) and empowering women (SDG 5).
- Key investors in WLB7, which aims to raise $60m, include the International Finance Corporation (IFC), APG on behalf of its pension fund client ABP, and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), highlighting the growing interest in blended finance.
- The WLB7 bond adheres to sustainable finance principles such as the Orange Bond Principles, Green Bond Principles, Social Bond Principles, and Sustainability Bond guidelines, as well as EU and UK Securitization regulations.
- The proceeds from WLB7 will be used to financially support high-impact enterprises owned and operated by women, as well as disadvantaged communities, in countries like India, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka, furthering IIX's mission in impact investing and creating lasting, positive change in the developing world.
