Convergence XXII: Building pathways for using finance to reduce gender-based violence

Why Convergence XXII
Who attends?
What makes Convergence different?
Curated learning pathways
The report: State of Investing to Address GBV
2026 schedule
Ticket types and registration
Partner with us

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Why Convergence XXII?

Against a backdrop of mounting violence globally, actors across finance, policy, and social change are getting ready to act. There is now a growing body of evidence, tools, and early practice that demonstrate how finance can engage GBV more responsibly and effectively. Many investors want to incorporate GBV considerations into their investment processes, while social change organizations want to translate their insights to finance so they can influence capital flows and policies. Their efforts, however, remain fragmented.

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The opportunity, and the risk, of this moment is that momentum exists, but it is uneven. We urgently need to galvanize the community, share stories of progress, and invite more people to harness their power for change.

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As part of Criterion’s multi-year initiative on Financing the Reduction of GBV, Convergence XXII offers a space for leaders from finance and social change to share hard-won learnings, build collective imagination about alternative approaches, and design implementable strategies that create new pathways for using finance to reduce gender-based violence.

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Join us in February 2026.

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An acknowledgement

We recognize that conversations about gender-based violence are not abstract. They are deeply connected to lived experiences. Many participants will join us carrying their own histories, responsibilities, and emotions related to violence. Because of this, Convergence is designed with care. Our facilitation approach creates space for reflection, silence, and complexity. Participants are never asked to disclose personal experiences, and no one is expected to carry the weight of educating others. This practice reflects Criterion’s long-standing commitment to holding difficult conversations in ways that are honest, humane, and attentive to power.

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We begin conversations with an acknowledgment that grounds the conversation, names the reality of violence in the world, and invites participants to arrive with presence, humility, and shared responsibility. You can download it here.

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Who attends?

Convergence XXII brings together leaders across investment, social change and government who share a commitment to reducing GBV and reshaping the systems that enable it.

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Investors

“see what is possible when you use your power to address GBV”

Convergence is a place for investors to contribute to field-building work alongside peers, social change organizations, and governments. Convergence offers investors the opportunity to see GBV not only as a moral imperative, but as a material risk. Whether you are seeking to adapt existing portfolios, develop new financial products, or influence corporate and policy practices, the conversations will help surface actionable strategies.

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Social change organizations

“see new allies, new power, and new possibilities”

At Convergence, organizations addressing GBV are invited to engage finance not as a narrow technical field, but as a system of power that shapes risk, value, and opportunity, and therefore can be influenced and changed. Social change leaders will find Convergence a space to discover finance as a strategic ally in their work to reduce GBV and explore ways to influence how capital flows, not just how much.

This year, we have designed a new learning pathway specifically for social change organizations – find out more below.

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Governments

“see the possibilities of your role as policy shapers and investors”

By bringing together public institutions with investors, GBV organizations, and peers from other governments, Convergence offers an opportunity to examine how policy, regulation, and public finance interact with the system of finance and how these levers can be used more deliberately to reduce GBV.

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What makes Convergence different?

Convergence is Criterion’s flagship annual global convening, and has been running since 2002. What makes it unique is that there are no official speakers or panels. It is not a training program. Instead, participants engage in facilitated conversations that center shared experience, reflection, and curiosity, creating space to engage in complex issues without the pressure to perform expertise.

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While participants come from different sectors and lenses, they are united by a willingness to engage deeply, learn from one another, and explore how power operates within financial systems.

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At Convergence, there is no hierarchy of expertise and no expectation to perform expertise. Investors, social change organizations, and public institutions come into conversation not to present polished answers, but to share experience, ask real questions, and explore what becomes possible when systems are examined collectively.

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This will be the third Convergence focused on gender-based violence. Earlier convenings in 2020 and 2021 brought together a diverse group of actors to explore the social and economic impacts of GBV and the role of finance in addressing it. Convergence XXII returns to this focus in 2026 with renewed urgency, deeper relationships across the field, and a growing body of tools and insights to build upon.

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Curated learning pathways for organizations addressing GBV

Curated learning pathways are guided cohorts for organizations addressing gender-based violence across prevention, response, mitigation, and other lenses.  

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Before Convergence, Cohort members join learning sessions to understand how financial systems operate as systems of power. Members build confidence and arrive at Convergence ready to participate fully and help shape the dialogue.

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Throughout the cohort journey, Criterion will work closely with cohorts to identify the insights from their work that matter most for financial systems, applying them to investment processes and risk-opportunity frameworks, and understanding how to articulate those insights in ways that resonate with financial actors.

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The cohort journey culminates in a concise written brief developed with the cohort that organizations can use as a reference point in their ongoing work. This brief helps organizations name how their work is relevant to finance, where they already hold influence, and how they might engage financial systems more strategically. It is both a record of learning and a practical tool for continued engagement, supporting organizations to end the cohort journey not only inspired, but with greater clarity about their relevance, leverage, and next steps.

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For those interested, we will also share opportunities to continue engaging in our work on financing the reduction of GBV.

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Convergence XXII serves as a gathering for the “long-distance runners” of the effort to reduce gender-based violence, as well as for those involved in gender lens investing or innovative finance. By bringing together this experienced community, Convergence fosters a space for in-depth, strategic discussions about what is working, what challenges persist, and how to amplify the impact of collective efforts.

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State of Investing to address GBV report

Criterion is working on a State of Investing to Address GBV report to document the progress made to date on financing the reduction of GBV and illuminate under-explored leverage points for effective interventions within systems of finance. It will draw on our extensive library of insights, coming to life with new investor stories and insights from Convergence.

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The report is a major milestone in the longer-term initiative. Its purpose is to amplify the investors, organizations, and initiatives already demonstrating that finance can reduce GBV, and inspiring the wider field to take action.

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2026 schedule

Over the course of the convening, conversations move through a shared journey — from big-picture framing to practical exploration. We begin by unpacking the social and financial dimensions of gender-based violence, then move into strategy and design, and finally explore how ideas can be tested and carried forward in practice. This arc is designed to support both reflection and action, without rushing toward premature solutions.

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Week 1: Framing conversations > Week 2: Strategy conversations > Week 3: Design conversations > Week 4: Implementation conversations.

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Conversations are held in two-time options: 9 AM and 7 PM ET to accommodate global time zones. Participants can choose the time option that works for them. We also have participants who join both time options and engage in conversations. On average, participants attend 2 – 3 sessions each week (60 – 90 minutes each).

Ticket Options

Convergence XXII is designed to be accessible while covering the real costs of convening a global, multi-week gathering. Ticket fees support facilitation, design, and coordination. We do not want cost to be a barrier to participation; options for complimentary tickets are available through the registration link.

General Ticket

Ticket Price: USD 250

Be part of a global dialogue where diverse stakeholders, including investors, governments, and social change leaders, explore how finance can be used as a tool to reduce gender-based violence and shift systems of power. Participants join ~12 hours of curated conversations during Convergence.

Pay forward ticket

Ticket Price: USD 500

Convenings are shaped by those who join the conversation, and you can help expand the perspectives represented by inviting inspiring leaders to share their insights. Consider purchasing a ticket for someone whose voice should be heard.

This ticket allows you to take part while opening the door for one changemaker to join. You can choose who to share your second ticket with or let Criterion match it with an organization whose perspective will deepen the dialogue on financing the reduction of gender-based violence.

Curated learning pathway ticket

Ticket price: USD 1000

For organizations who want to undergo a learning experience that begins well before Convergence conversations, this ticket offers a guided experience that will prepare them to arrive at Convergence ready to shape the dialogue. The pathway culminates in a concise written brief that helps organizations articulate how their work is relevant to finance, where they already hold influence, and how they can engage financial systems more strategically going forward.

The ticket includes one registration per organization. If you want more team members to join, they can buy a general ticket but will be included in the learning cohort.

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Partner with us

Convergence XXII and the broader Financing the Reduction of Gender-Based Violence program is made possible through partnerships.  If you are interested in partnering with us for Convergence XXII, the State of Investing to address GBV report or the GBV program more broadly, we would love to hear from you.

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