Ethiopia entered an important phase in the development of its capital market ecosystem, following the establishment of key market institutions and start of listing and trading of securities along with shift toward regulated mobilization of long-term finance. In this context, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), in collaboration with Ethiopian Securities Exchange (ESX), FSD Ethiopia, is supporting two complementary workstreams: one focused on strengthening the ecosystem for gender-responsive thematic finance, including the development of a standards-aligned Gender Bond Framework, and another focused on enabling institutional and anchor investor participation in Ethiopia’s emerging capital market. The two assignments are designed as market-building initiatives that support policy readiness, institutional capacity, stakeholder alignment, and practical pathways for future market participation rather than transaction execution.