Learning Streams

The Learning Streams organized under the CGE initiative are structured learning journeys to exchange practical tools, lessons and examples of work on gender equality and women’s empowerment in agrifood systems. They aim to increase available data and evidence proving the return on investment in women. They also serve as networking opportunities among CGE partners, creating openings for matchmaking and individualized connections.

Two Learning Streams will take place per year, with each of them following a structured yet dynamic engagement cycle built around three core elements: Market Practice Spotlights, partner exchanges and knowledge products.

First, CGE's Market Practice Spotlight sessions highlight concrete approaches from market actors, including private sector companies, financial institutions and investment platforms, that demonstrate how gender-responsive tools, diagnostics, financing models or business practices can improve women’s economic outcomes in agrifood systems. These sessions focus not only on what works, but on how and why these approaches deliver results, including their contribution to return on investment (ROI) for women.

Second, the Learning Streams feature opportunities for broad partner contribution and exchange. Through focused online consultations and structured dialogue moments, CGE partners - including governments, UN agencies, research institutions, civil society organizations, and private actors - are invited to share promising tools, practical experiences and scaling barriers from their own contexts. This collective intelligence process helps identify common bottlenecks and emerging innovations, as well as investment and partnership opportunities across the CGE network.

Finally, each Learning Stream culminates in a concise knowledge product that synthesizes lessons learned, highlights scalable approaches and strengthens the evidence base on investing in women in agrifood systems. These outputs capture innovative practices and help inform investment decisions, partnership pathways and accountability efforts. Through this process, the Learning Streams contribute directly to advancing the business case for investing in women and to strengthening CGE’s role as a platform for action-oriented collaboration.

CGE Learning Stream 1

Innovative finance & market models to close women’s economic gaps in agrifood systems

17 April – 30 June 2026

Persistent gender gaps in access to finance, productive assets, markets, and professional recognition continue to constrain women’s economic participation in agrifood systems. CGE is uniquely positioned to convene partners to examine not only what works, but under which conditions innovative finance and market models effectively close women’s economic gaps.

Learning Stream 1 will focus on identifying, testing and synthesizing concrete finance and business models that demonstrably improve women’s economic outcomes, productivity, market integration and performance in agrifood systems — and on clarifying what is required to scale them.

Through this Learning Stream, CGE will convene governments, private sector actors, UN entities and civil society to examine not only what works, but under which conditions innovative finance and market models effectively close women’s economic gaps across agrifood systems.

17 April | Market Practice Spotlight (session 1)
17 April – 30 June| Multistakeholder insight call
April –May | Focused partner consultation
May | Market Practice Spotlight (session 2)
June | Knowledge output

Objectives of the CGE Learning Streams

generate actionable insights around priority themes
translate collective learning into tangible outcomes, including:
- concise knowledge products
- strengthened commitment pathways
- targeted partnerships
- concerted resource mobilization efforts
advance and substantiate the business case for investing in women across agrifood systems

CGE roundtable fosters exchange on gender equality in agrifood businesses and supply chains

CGE hosted its first private sector roundtable to facilitate peer-learning on business and supply chain initiatives that seek to improve women’s participation and productivity in agrifood systems.