International Women’s Day 2024: Invest & Inspire

“By 2028, Canadian women will control $4 trillion in assets, almost doubling the $2.2 trillion they control today.” ¹

As we celebrate the strides made in empowering women economically, it’s essential to recognize the remarkable evolution that has taken place in the world of finance and investment. Women now control a significant portion of household financial assets and are increasingly influential as investors and corporate board members ².

This year’s International Women’s Day theme, “Inspire Inclusion,” resonates with UN Women’s focus on “Invest.” It’s a call to action that compels us to confront the realities of the finance ³ and technology ⁴ sectors while fostering hope and support for Canadian groups and organizations striving for better.

Breaking Historic Stereotypes and Building Futures

Historically, the finance industry has been male-dominated, with women investors often overlooked or underestimated. However, the narrative is changing. Women are now recognized for their financial confidence and sophistication, investing across complex asset classes and influencing major policy decisions ². The stereotype of women as less financially confident or more risk-averse is being dismantled as they take on more active roles in managing wealth and driving change.

Influence Beyond the Boardroom

The impact of women in finance extends beyond personal wealth management. In 2021, women held 30% of director roles on the boards of S&P 500 companies, bringing diverse perspectives that are reshaping markets and the dialogue around money ². Their leadership skills, honed in various industries, are now being applied to investments, catalyzing changes they wish to see in companies and across sectors.

UN’s Call to Action: Invest in Women

This year, the United Nations is emphasizing the need to invest in women for a sustainable future. With over 340 million women and girls at risk of living in extreme poverty by 2030, the UN urges a significant increase in investment to address gender equality under the Sustainable Development Goals ⁵. While stereotypes are being broken and business influence is shifting there is more to do like ramping up resources, creating job opportunities, and ensuring women everywhere have access to land, information, technology, and resources.

Learn, Share, and Inspire

We invite you to engage with the current state of affairs, share in our collective pride and hope, and contribute to the ongoing progress. Let’s inspire and invest in the future of women in Canada and worldwide. Together, we can amplify the voices calling for gender equality in finance and beyond.

The next generation of women stepping into the roles of investors, financial visionaries, and business creators, will have heart and purpose. With more inspiration and investment, they are poised to make a lasting impact on the world ⁵.

#InvestInWomen #InspireInclusion