The latest report from UBS Chief Investment Office, Gender-lens investment: The state of women in 2025, examines gender-lens investments—asking “where are we now?”—and provides takeaways for investors.

How to invest?

• Key investment opportunities for women include products and services that address women's needs, with a focus on emerging digital technologies.

• Key investments in women rest on finding scalable opportunities to put money to work in companies with significant female representation in management roles.

• Key investments by women span the growing numbers of female-led portfolios, which include sustainable and impact investing solutions alongside liquid-listed investments, private equity, and real estate.

Over the past two decades, women have made significant strides in socio-economic metrics worldwide. For instance, enrollment in tertiary education has surged, with 46% of women and 40% of men now pursuing higher education, compared with just 19% for both genders in 2000, according to 2024 data from the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap report.

However, progress remains uneven across regions and sectors, with momentum stalling in some areas. The gender gap—disparities in health, education, and economic opportunities—continues to limit women's growth potential and, consequently, overall economic growth and innovation.

So, while women have made significant economic progress, gender gaps remain that are holding back women’s personal development, financial empowerment, and both their own and society’s growth potential. Investors, including women, can drive further positive economic development by embracing gender-lens investing. The opportunity set for investments for, in, and by women is expected to grow as we approach 2030, potentially offering both commercial and societal benefits.