SECP unveils guidelines for companies to issue gender bonds Business May 20, 2021 ISLAMABAD: The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) on Wednesday released guidelines for companies to tap capital market funds through gender bonds for financing projects related to women economic empowerment. The SECP said all issuers who are eligible to issue debt securities, including sukuk bonds, either by way of public offer or private placement are eligible to issue gender bonds, as long as ensuring compliance with the applicable regulatory framework. The amount of funds raised from the issuance of gender bonds shall be utilized to finance projects related to women uplift and economic empowerment such as, access to finance/credit; micro, small and medium-sized enterprise development; agriculture development; financial literacy and entrepreneurship training, disaster risk management; housing for low income segment of women etc. Like other debt instruments, such as green, social and sustainability bonds, a gender bond can have any type of financial structure as a general bond, a project bond or a securitisation scheme.