Press Release
Connecting innovation with investment - UNFPA announces Bayer as the first business to join its new Equalizer Accelerator Fund
27 July 2022
Connecting innovation with investment - UNFPA announces Bayer as the first business to join its new Equalizer Accelerator Fund
New York, 27 July 2022 – Pharmaceutical company Bayer is the first business to join UNFPA’s Equalizer Accelerator Fund, a new platform for partners looking to invest in innovative projects that will improve the health and rights of women around the world.
Launched in 2021, UNFPA’s Equalizer Accelerator Fund exclusively invests in projects that will expand access to contraception and maternal health services for women and girls and end gender-based violence. The fund provides equity-free investments in social enterprises that are led or co-led by women and can show evidence of the impact they will have, enabling them to test and scale up their projects.
“To disrupt inequality and realize the SDGs, we need to remove the barriers standing between women and girls and their rights and choices – we need business unusual. UNFPA is working with partners to support digital, social and financial innovations – investments that can transform the lives of those we serve”, says Dr. Natalia Kanem, UNFPA’s Executive Director. “We are delighted that Bayer is the first company to join us on this mission. Together, we can ‘disrupt inequality’ and equalize opportunities for women and girls.”
The world's population will soon reach 8 billion. Half of its people are women and girls and over 70% are living in emerging economies. UNFPA and its Equalizer Accelerator Fund partners are committed to ensuring they have access to information, services and commodities in the most equitable and efficient way.
“As champions of sexual and reproductive health, we recognise working in partnership is key to achieving our commitment of reaching 100 million girls and women by 2030 with access to modern contraceptives,” said Claus Runge, Senior Vice President, Global Head of Market Access, Public Affairs & Sustainability for Bayer Pharmaceuticals. “Our growing partnership with UNFPA has reached an exciting stage by joining the Equalizer Fund to test innovative solutions to measure real impact on gender equality globally.”
By supporting innovation to disrupt inequalities and realize rights and choices for all, UNFPA’s Equalizer Accelerator Fund is paving a path towards realizing the Sustainable Development Goals, bringing together experts and technology to advance sexual and reproductive health and rights for all and harnessing the unlimited potential that women and girls wield when they are able to enjoy the rights and choices they are owed and deserve.
UNFPA is welcoming new partners to the Fund - interested prospective partners are invited to find out more here.
UNFPA Media Contact:
Eddie Wright: ewright@unfpa.org; +1 917 831 2074
About UNFPA:
UNFPA is the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency. UNFPA's mission is to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled. UNFPA calls for the realization of reproductive rights for all and supports access to a wide range of sexual and reproductive health services, including voluntary family planning, quality maternal health care and comprehensive sexuality education.
