London — June 2, 2026 — The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has unveiled its new Gender Equality and Human Capital (GEHC) Strategy for the period 2026–2030, setting ambitious priorities to boost growth, resilience, and equality of opportunity across its regions.
The strategy focuses on four impact areas: expanding access to skills and sustainable livelihoods, fostering inclusive financial systems and business environments, strengthening inclusive infrastructure and public services, and preserving human capital and gender equality in fragile and conflict-affected settings.
The launch comes as the Bank expands into sub-Saharan Africa and Iraq, while maintaining strong support for Ukraine, where the strategy reaffirms the objective of embedding human capital measures in at least 80% of investments. Across all regions, the EBRD will continue to ensure that 40% of annual projects promote gender equality, while introducing a new indicator to track human capital impact in at least 50% of operations.
To deepen its impact, the GEHC Strategy emphasizes standardisation and scalability, agility to respond to evolving contexts, and long-term sustainability through institutional and policy change. Sonia Jordan-Kirwan, EBRD Director of Gender and Economic Inclusion, said: “Equal opportunity and strong human capital are core drivers of long-term prosperity. As we expand into new regions and deepen our work in Ukraine, we are committed to creating inclusive systems that enable all people to thrive in rapidly changing economies.”
The strategy follows a public consultation held earlier this year, with feedback shaping the final design. Since its establishment in 1991, the EBRD has invested more than €220 billion across three continents, delivering a record €16.8 billion in 2025, including its first projects in sub-Saharan Africa and Iraq.
