Michele Obama once said that “no country can ever truly flourish if it stifles the potential of its women and deprives itself of the contributions of half its citizens” and this resonates with me now more than ever.
The good news? Women are choosing to challenge. They are continuing to find a voice to assert themselves in all areas of life, and that sea of voices is getting louder. The past 10 years has been a game-changing decade for women in sport, with female England players being awarded professional contracts in football, rugby union and cricket. Women are being justifiably forthright in the workplace; finding the confidence to negotiate pay, promotions and strive for leadership positions. And the #WomenNotObjects campaign saw women raising awareness on objectification in advertising. The list goes on…
Positive action extends beyond females themselves – organisations, brands and individuals are also beginning to play their part. I’m proud to be working with clients who really value the importance of shining a spotlight on one of the biggest weaknesses in the financial industry; empowering women to take control of their finances and playing a stronger role in facilitating female entrepreneurship. Globally, in 2021, women’s wealth is accelerating and women are becoming a sizeable economic force. Female entrepreneurs and female-led businesses are on the rise; and there is unprecedented wealth transfer between generations of women.
Despite the increasing prominence of women, many wealth management companies continue to uphold historical social norms that regard men as the primary financial decision makers. The important thing to recognise here is that women need to continue to assert themselves, the debate needs to continue. Attitudes are changing, but they haven’t changed enough.
I have just touched on the tip of the iceberg of inequality and actually there is so much more I could mention. I hope that whoever reads this article, however they identify, finds it thought-provoking enough to want to, or continue to do their bit. It’s clear that in years to come, we have many choices to make to help move forward what should be a critical component of any societies evolution.
