As part of the 36th General Assembly held in May 2025, the Foundation for a Sustainable Society, Inc. (FSSI) hosted a learning session to share key lessons and insights in gender lens investing and partnering with women social enterprises, primarily through the Investing in Women (IW) Project, a ten-year initiative supported by the Australian government.
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The project aims to scale up women-led and women-owned social enterprises (WSEs), enhance their access to financing and capacity building, and lead to the integration of gender lens investing into FSSI’s strategic approach.
Ms. Ednie Luceno-Casiller, FSSI’s Partnership Manager, led the session with a presentation on the project’s milestones, including the co-investment and direct partnership mechanisms through which FSSI and its partners support WSEs. As of December 2024, the project has reached 19 women social enterprises with over Php 113 million in investments.
It was followed by the highlight of the learning session, a panel discussion on “Women and the Future of Agriculture in the Philippines,” moderated by Ms. Josie Cardona, FSSI Assistant Auditor and NATCCO Board Member. The panel featured insights from Ms. Liza Lacamento, General Manager of Kisandal Multi-Purpose Cooperative, Mr. Abundio “Jun” Quililan, Jr., President of New Rural Bank of San Leonardo, and Dr. Agnes Quisumbing, Development Economist and Research Fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute.
The discussion spotlighted the crucial role of women in transforming rural communities through agriculture and social enterprise. Key themes included the importance of women’s leadership in cooperatives, inclusive rural financing, gendered pathways in agriculture and nutrition, and the need for gender-sensitive policies in agricultural extension and credit programs.
Access the learning paper here.
