4 Surprising Facts About Women in Finance You Should Know

Even though women have been reclaiming their space around the world, there are still some spaces where we have a lot of work to do. Finance, sadly, is one of them.

Even though there are way more men than women in finance, working in the financial industry is a goal for many women. So what’s the current state of affairs? What does the landscape look like?

Read on for the top four facts you need to know about women in finance.

1. We’re Shockingly Underrepresented

Sure, you probably already knew that women were underrepresented in the finance field. Many people don’t realize just how bad the numbers are, though. Women only account for 18 percent of all finance jobs, which is worse than the representation in other STEM fields like engineering.

That means that fewer than a fifth of the people controlling the country’s flow of money are women. Bringing light to this issue will hopefully spark some conversations about how this can change.

2. Women Shape the Direction of the Field

Despite those depressing numbers, women are still changing the future of finance. In some cases, we’re even shaping the direction that the field is heading.

Women bring a different perspective to the table, which means that the companies we create have different goals, too. Women have started companies with more welcoming and inclusive cultures, created organizations focused on getting more women into the field, and started to change what working in finance can look like.

Honestly, we’re half-tempted to use this helpful PayStubCreator to illustrate the value of all this hard work. Can you imagine what that paycheck would look like?

3. Women Are Better Investors

We might be underrepresented, but it’s not because we’re less talented!

Don’t listen to the people who tell you that women are bad at math or can’t balance a checkbook. (That completely ignores all of the women who are 100 percent responsible for their family’s finances, by the way.) Even though only nine percent of women think that they’re better investors than men, the research says otherwise. Women consistently earn higher investment returns from men.

4. Female Role Models Change Everything

There’s a famous saying: You cannot be what you cannot see. That holds true for representation in many forms, but especially for women who are working in male-dominated fields.

Studies have shown that girls who saw an adult woman absolutely killing it in a STEM field were inspired to choose similar careers for themselves. That’s why nonprofits like Girls Who Invest and high-profile women CEOs are so important.

Helping younger girls see what is possible for them inspires them to do and achieve more. And when it comes to women in finance, more is exactly what we need.

Women in Finance Are Powerful

While there’s still so much more to do, we shouldn’t ignore all the achievements that have already been won. Women in finance are changing the game and helping other women up at the same time. That’s definitely something to celebrate!

Check out more of our content to see how working women can achieve their full potential in whatever careers they choose.

Thanks to Ana