DEI Speaker Series: Financial Literacy for Women Workshop

Women’s representation in the economy has risen steadily over the decades when it comes to education, workforce experience and increased earnings, yet why do we still see a significant wealth gap between women and men today?

Current research has shown that chief among the reasons for this variance is due to pay inequities, early childhood education and the lack of women’s participation in the stock market. This workshop will open with a discussion on these barriers, not to mention others, that women face in growing their personal wealth during their working years.

Focusing on women’s non-participation in the stock market in particular, this workshop will address how the role of fear serves to discourage their engagement with the investment world, thus resulting in a pronounced gender difference in financial inclusion. It then becomes the goal of this discussion to arm women with basic investment knowledge so that they, in turn, can make sound economic decisions with confidence and independence. To this end, key financial concepts and terminology will be examined within the context of an employer-sponsored retirement savings plan, such as the 401(k) or 403(b) plans.

Q&A session to follow.