An entrepreneur focused on women's equity said of gender-lens investors after U.S. aid cuts: “What happened is there is a little bit of fear especially where the U.S. is involved and allies of the U.S. because now they have to sing from the same hymn book. It’s a harder conversation to have now.”
Date: 3/26
Region: Global
Country: Global
Topic: Gender Equality & Inclusion, Economy & Livelihoods
Policy Lens: Moral Leadership
Entry Type: Field Observation
Additional Context: This quote is attributed to Angie Madara who was meant to launch a fund to test a new credit scoring model designed to unlock investment in women microentrepreneurs in Africa. With cuts from USAID, she has been forced to shift her approach.
Facing funding pressure and political scrutiny, gender-lens investors are now focusing on the business case of women's empowerment to help protect this sector. According to Devex, the U.S. government's discourse on women's empowerment alongside its 2025 funding cuts have affected the global narrative of this work.
Source: Devex