Dear BCtA Community

Women’s empowerment and gender equality are issues that cut across everything we do at Business Call to Action, and in these past months we’ve had the opportunity to shine a spotlight on them in a few different ways.

In April, we led a panel on how innovation and technology are helping to empower women economically in the private sector at the Tunis Forum on Gender Equality, where BCtA member Sehat Kahani, a Pakistan-based telemedicine provider, and Turkish Big Chefs discussed how they’re innovating to empower women along their value chains. We also published a piece on our Guardian Lab on empowering women in the workplace, Gender equality: closing the gap in the private sector around the world.

We’re also really excited to share that not one but two of our members have recognised by international awards – GiftedMom, nominated for the award by BCtA, was one of three companies globally to receive the Business for Peace Award on 15 May, and Sehat Kahani has been nominated for the Rolex Awards. More details below, but congratulations to both!

Finally, we have relaunched our Public Eye Q & A series, where we interview our key partners to gain a better understanding of emerging trends and top priorities in the world of inclusive business. We were honoured to have the Netherlands’ Director Sustainable Economic Development, Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Hans Docter, for our first interviewee.

New Additions to the BCtA Family

Two additional companies have signed on as BCtA members since our last update in February, both hailing from Latin America: Peru-based Sustainable Fisheries Trade is empowering artisanal fishermen and women in Peru and Chile by connecting them with directly with customers, disrupting the traditional supply chain while promoting sustainability of marine resources, and Comfandi is working to improve the lives of low income Colombians through its family welfare model. Their member pages outlining their inclusive business commitments will be up on our website soon.

This brings our community to 232 members in 70 countries!

What's on the Horizon?

How can we improve returns and scale up investment in inclusive business? We think we found some clues.
As we are wrapping up our research on inclusive business management practices, the Inclusive Business Boost launched a series of events - virtual and in person - to share all the good stuff we collectively found. If you’re a multinational corporations, join us for our next workshop in Istanbul on June 27th (this way for registration). Friends in West Africa: hold tight we will be coming your way in July with a workshop in Lagos! Our supporting online tool, the Inclusive Business Management Practices Tool, will be launched in August 2019.

10 social enterprises receive hands-on SDG impact training in the Philippines
As part of ISIP’s Social Impact Accelerator, which supports promising innovative social enterprises in the Philippines to be able to collectively contribute to the achievement, acceleration, and sustainability of the SDGs, BCtA was selected by UNDP Philippines as the partner of choice to give hands-on impact management training to 10 local social enterprises in March. Using our impact Lab, we worked with each of the companies to create a framework on how to effectively measure impact and use impact data to make better business decisions, and strengthen their pitch for potential investors.

Colombia launches SDG Corporate Tracker, a bold, cooperative and dynamic tool
In a pioneering initiative that invites the private sector to measure its contribution to the SDGs, we partnered with UNDP Colombia, GRI and the Colombia’s National Planning Department to launch a SDG Corporate Tracker in Colombia in April. The tracker will analyse the contribution of SMEs, joint ventures and the infrastructure sector on the advancement of the 2030 Agenda. The tracker involves in equal parts the private sector, civil society, academia and governments around a very important and powerful message: collective action is the only way to achieve sustainability.

Working together - BCtA-iBAN strategic partnership
We’ve joined forces with the Inclusive Business Action Network (iBAN) to support the growth of inclusive business worldwide. The partnership focuses on engagement and capacity building for companies and policy makers, complemented by knowledge sharing and dissemination of good practices on inclusivebusiness.net and businesscalltoaction.org, go-to digital platforms on inclusive business developed by iBAN and BCtA respectively.

Upcoming Events
23 May: Africa Shared Value Summit 2019, Nairobi, Shift Social Development
5-6 Jun: Inclusive Innovation 2030, Berlin, Endeva
18 Jun: European Development Days, Brussels, the European Commission
27 Jun: Inclusive Business Boost Workshop, Istanbul, BCtA, the Business Innovation Facility and DfID
9-18 Jul: High Level Political Forum, New York, United Nations
18-19 Jul: Saving Lives Sustainably: 2019 Global Forum, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
19 Jul: Business Fights Poverty Oxford 2019, Oxford, Business Fights Poverty
23-24 Jul: ANDE West Africa Regional Conference 2019, Lagos, ANDE
27 Sep: 9th BCtA Annual Forum, New York
23-25 Oct: Social Enterprise World Forum (SEWF) 2019, Local Traditions – Fresh Perspectives, Addis Ababa

The Voice of our Community

GiftedMom receive the Oslo Business for Peace Award 2019
Dr Agbor  Ashumanyi  Ako, the co-founders of GiftedMom, a digital health platform based in Cameroon, has been awarded the Oslo Business for Peace Award 2019. Dr Agbor is one of three award recipients who are delivering opportunities for women, minorities and disadvantaged groups.

Sehat Kahani’s Dr Sara Saeed nominated for Rolex Awards
Dr Sara Saeed, Co-Founder and CEO of BCtA member Sehat Kahani, a Pakistan-based telemedicine service, has been nominated for the 2019 Rolex Awards. The Rolex Awards identify and invest in exceptional people around the world who are carrying out pioneering projects. Find out more and vote for Dr Saeed here!

News from the Guardian Lab – Make your way over to our Lab – we have plenty of new stories to share. You can find all the latest articles here: Improving Lives through Business Innovations.

This month we learn how Sweden-based environmental technology company Watersprint is collaborating with local entrepreneurs in Bangladesh to bring clean water to Bangladeshi citizens, using their Nobel Prize-winning LED tech-based water purification techniques. We also hear from Ambassador Hans Docter, Director Sustainable Economic Development, Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the Netherlands’ priorities when it comes to private sector contribution to development and from impact investing company Brightlight’s CIO Tim Macready on the rise of pension fund-based impact investing.
If you’re a BCtA member and you have exciting news to share about your inclusive business initiative, we can help promote it though our media partnerships and social media channels. please get in touch with our Comms Lead Aimee on aimee.brown@undp.org so we can help share your good news!

Insights from the Field

What role can business play to tackle gender-based violence? 
In 2016, the global cost of violence against women was estimated to be USD$ 1.5 trillion, equivalent to 2 percent of the world’s gross domestic product. Business Fights Poverty is focusing on the role that private sector can play to help tackle this global issue, and held an online discussion bringing together sector experts. Complete this five-minute survey to help them learn about what businesses are doing to address GBV in the workplace.

How are companies perceiving and managing their inclusive business talent?
Nazila, our Knowledge and Partnerships Lead, was interviewed by iBAN for their May Clued-In magazine, which examines the ‘talent gap’ in inclusive business and what action is needed to address it. Nazila shares her thoughts on unique talent management principles in inclusive business.

Calling Young SDG Innovators!
The youth of today are tomorrow’s leaders – recognising this, UN Global Compact has just launched a new programme, Young SDG Innovators, and is calling on businesses to identify young talent within their organizations, whom they will support to accelerate business innovation towards the SDGs.

Other read-worthy news
BSR takes the questioning of human rights impacts of artificial intelligence a step further by examining impact at the ‘use’ phase rather than just the design and development phase in this LinkedIn blog, while UNDP Eurasia explores how the workplace can become a space of humanity and support in its visual journal, Voyages. Finally, Tensie Whelan, Director, NYU Stern Center For Sustainable Business explains why the Sustainable Development Goals are the yellow brick road for smart investors.