ANZ today announced its participation in the first tranche of the Women's Livelihood Bond™ 7 (WLB7), the latestbond issuance by Impact Investment Exchange (IIX). WLB 7 will support high-impact enterprises that uplift underserved women and communities across South and Southeast Asia.
The US$60 million transaction consists of a US$52.8 million 4-year senior tranche, supported by a US$7.2 million first-loss subordinated tranche. As issuer, WLB7 also benefits from a 40% guarantee on the underlying portfolio from The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).
WLB7 marks a significant milestone in gender-lens investing, with proceeds expected to empower more than 773,000 women and girls in India, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka, through initiatives spanning financial inclusion, clean energy, agriculture, water and sanitation. The bond is certified under the Orange Bond Principles™, reinforcing its alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), including SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), and SDG 13 (Climate Action), among others. A Second Party Opinion has been provided by Sustainable Fitch.
ANZ Director, Debt Capital Markets Sarah Ng said: "ANZ has been involved in all seven issuances of the WLB™ series. Our longstanding support reflects ANZ's focus on advancing inclusive finance and sustainable development across the region. The oversubscription on the senior tranche is testament to the resilience of the sustainable finance market despite global headwinds. The significant investor interest, including new investors to the series from both the private sector and official institutions, showcases WLB7 as a sterling example of blended finance in action."
IIX Chief Investment Officer Robert Kraybill said: "With WLB7, IIX and partners are not only continuing to break ground in sustainable finance, but also breaking barriers for women and gender minorities across emerging markets, especially during turbulent times in the global landscape. By deepening our commitment to gender equity and climate resilience, we are galvanizing insights and actions from the ground to drive systemic change. This bond underscores the transformative power of innovative finance to create a more inclusive and sustainable future."
WLB7 is expected to be listed on the Singapore Exchange and complies with International Capital Market Association's Green, Social, and Sustainability Bond Guidelines, as well as EU and UK Securitisation regulations.
The WLB™ Series began in 2017 with the US$8.5 million WLB1, the world's first gender-lens impact investing security listed on a stock exchange. ANZ has been involved in all issuances in the series, mobilising close to US$400 million in investment to date, and continues to provide consistent returns to empower more than 2.6 million women and girls across emerging markets.
