In commemoration of International Women’s Day, the World Bank priced a Sustainable Development Bond to raise awareness for the importance of investing in women’s empowerment in rural areas. The bond highlights Sustainable Development Goals 1, 2 and 5 to achieve zero poverty, zero hunger, and gender equality.
The bond—an Indonesian rupiah-denominated, IDR 500 billion, 5-year bond was placed with investors committed to highlighting the importance of the theme, with Macquarie Investment Management as the lead investor. HSBC is the lead manager for this transaction.
The bond brings the World Bank’s total issuance of bonds that raise awareness for gender equality to US$840 million. The World Bank has also issued US$2 billion in bonds to highlight efforts that support women and children’s health.
Women and girls have a unique role to play as drivers of growth and progress and powerful agents of change. Globally, women are accorded only three-quarters of the legal rights that men enjoy according to a new index recently released by the World Bank, constraining their ability to get jobs or start businesses and make economic decisions that are best for them and their families. These difficulties are compounded for rural women, who often lack access to both information and finance.
