Money, time, or effort put into something in order to get a benefit or profit later; or the thing that you put those resources into.
From Latin *investire* “to clothe, endow,” via French and English forms meaning “the act of investing.” It kept the sense of “putting something into” a project or property.
We talk about financial investments, but friendships, skills, and health are also long‑term investments. The hidden rule is that small, steady investments—of money or effort—often beat rare, dramatic ones.
Investment as a sector has historically excluded women and gender minorities from decision-making roles and capital access. Campaigns for 'gender-lens investing' emerged to counter patterns where women’s economic contributions were undervalued or ignored.
Use 'investment' to include human and social capital, not just financial, and avoid assuming investors or beneficiaries are male by default. When relevant, name gender gaps explicitly rather than treating them as natural market outcomes.
Women have led innovations in microfinance, community investment, and impact investing, often emphasizing collective benefit and long-term resilience.
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