Australians Investing in Women has made a submission to the Productivity Commission’s Business Dynamism Inquiry, calling for a gender lens to be applied to the capital already shaping Australia’s economic future.

Prepared in partnership with Sweef Capital, The Sweef Institute and informed by the expertise of the Gender Lens Investing Collaborative (GLIC), the submission brings together the insights of investors, capital allocators and intermediaries working to advance gender-wise investment in Australia and the Asia-Pacific.

The submission makes the case that persistent gender gaps in access to finance are not only an equality issue, but a constraint on innovation, productivity and business growth. When women-led and gender-diverse businesses cannot access appropriately structured capital, Australia misses opportunities for jobs, commercialisation and economic resilience.

It recommends establishing a dedicated Gender Lens Investment Stream within the National Reconstruction Fund, supported by a separately funded Technical Assistance and Data Facility. This would help more high-potential businesses access growth capital, while building the evidence, capability and investment pathways needed to mobilise additional private capital.