EESII

Across Africa, infrastructure continues to be a catalyst for economic growth, job creation, and social transformation. However, women remain significantly underrepresented in the leadership, financing, and development of infrastructure projects. Despite progress in gender inclusion policies, the participation of women in infrastructure entrepreneurship, investment decision-making, and technical leadership remains limited.

The Gender-Led Infrapreneurship (GLE) side event seeks to reframe how we think about infrastructure not merely as physical assets, but as systems that shape social equity, resilience, and inclusion.

Organized by The African Catalyst in collaboration with International Women’s Day 2026, this session aims to highlight how women-led approaches, inclusive investment practices, and gender-responsive policies can accelerate Africa’s sustainable infrastructure transformation.

By bringing together female leaders, financiers, policymakers, and project developers, the session will explore how to integrate gender considerations into the infrastructure value chain from project preparation and financing to delivery and governance.

The panel aims to:

• Showcase women leaders driving innovation and impact in Africa’s infrastructure ecosystem.

• Highlight barriers and opportunities for women-led participation in project development, financing, and governance.

• Explore frameworks for embedding gender-inclusive approaches in early-stage project preparation and investment readiness.

• Promote collaboration among women professionals, investors, and institutions supporting gender-smart infrastructure investments.

• Inspire action toward building a gender-responsive infrastructure ecosystem aligned with SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure).

1. Women as Infrapreneurs and Project Sponsors

• Stories of women leading or sponsoring infrastructure projects in transport, energy, water, and social infrastructure.

• Overcoming structural barriers: access to capital, technical knowledge, and networks.

• The role of mentorship and institutional support in nurturing female infrapreneurs.

2. Financing Through a Gender Lens

• How can DFIs, impact investors, and funds integrate gender-smart financing strategies?

• Gender-lens investing as a driver of both inclusion and performance in infrastructure.

• Designing blended finance tools to support women-led infrastructure projects.

3. Policy, Regulation, and Institutional Reform

• Creating an enabling environment for gender-responsive project preparation and PPPs.

• Mainstreaming gender equality in procurement, PPP frameworks, and investment policies.

• Examples of gender-inclusive infrastructure policies in African markets.

4. Building Gender-Responsive Project Preparation Ecosystems

• How can early-stage project readiness programs (like ESIIR and DFIP) integrate gender dimensions?

• Capacity building, technical assistance, and pipeline development for women infrapreneurs.

• Strengthening institutional and regional ecosystems that champion female participation in infrastructure.

• Increased awareness among stakeholders on the importance of early-stage capital mobilisation.

• Strengthened investor–developer relationships.

• Actionable recommendations for reducing early-stage risk in Africa’s infrastructure sector.

• Enhanced visibility for selected PIDA–PAP–2 projects, improving their prospects for moving toward bankability.

The session will be fully virtual via Microsoft Teams and will combine keynote presentations, panel discussions, and the Infrapitch showcase, followed by Q&A and networking opportunities in breakout rooms.