Amazon & USAID Fund Women-Led Climate Solutions in Africa

A year after the Climate Gender Equity Fund (CGEF) was established, Amazon and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) announced the first winners of funds targeted at boosting gender-equitable climate action in Africa. This public-private collaboration has invested $20 million to date, with an additional $5 million pledged by USAID during the COP28 climate change conference. It is supported by grants manager 2X Global and other founding members.

A women-led acceleration hub in Nigeria focused on scaling climate technologies was chosen, as was a South African accelerator supporting female leaders in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields, and a Kenyan incubator focusing on women entrepreneurs in climate-smart agriculture.

Women entrepreneurs in Africa got fewer than 1% of startup investment in 2021, underscoring the need for specialized help in accessing climate finance. The CGEF intends to alleviate this inequality by empowering African women to expedite climate solutions. Amazon, Visa Foundation, Reckitt Benckiser, and The UPS Foundation are among the founding members who underline the need of investing in women-led climate solutions to create inclusive economic growth.

Gillian Caldwell, USAID's Chief Climate Officer, expressed her delight about the cooperation, underlining the important importance of assisting women and girls on the front lines of climate change. The CGEF's commitment to sponsoring and supporting women-led initiatives fits with the rising need for localized solutions in the face of climate change's disproportionate impact on African women and children.