International Women's Day 2024: Money is Power - Let's Build a Future Where Women Have More of Both.

There’s so much to celebrate this International Women’s Day. But, as I look at women’s financial progress - I can’t help but feel we’ve regressed as a society.

Did you know? Gen Z women express higher concerns on nearly every economic or personal finance topic - whether it be about their current financial situation or future financial potential.

A Man's Financial System

For a quick bit of (not fun) history: It was just a few decades ago when women finally won the right to open our own bank accounts and hold our own credit cards. Even then, many banks still required a husband’s signature to do so. It took until 1974 — and the passage of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act — for us to finally earn the right to open a bank account, credit card, or business loan on our own terms.

Women's Spending Power

Fast forward to today:

💸 Women contribute over $30 trillion to worldwide spending.

👛 By 2028, women are projected to own 75% of discretionary spending.

👩‍🎓 Women currently outpace men in today’s college-educated labor force and Gen Z women are more ambitious than ever.

Gendered Financial Gaps

However:

😧 Gendered financial gaps are not reserved to “adulthood” challenges like caregiving - on nearly every metric, Gen Z women express higher concerns on economic or personal finance topics - whether it be their current financial situation or future financial potential.

❗️Women are still paying 30% more in overdraft fees, higher interest rates, and aren’t growing wealth as effectively due in part to financial education gaps that start in childhood and do not close.

💰 The gender wage gap, “Pink Tax” - gender-based price discrimination, and similar hidden costs to being a woman are still costing us hundreds of thousands of dollars over a lifetime.

Women's Financial Futures

Despite these stats, I feel optimistic about the future - primarily because I believe in women.

I believe in our ability to drive societal change and question the status quo towards a society that values women, our wellbeing, and our spending power.

When women unleash our spending power, economies thrive - even the Federal Reserve has noticed women’s economic prowess.

Women are the largest underserved segment in financial services, representing a $700 billion global opportunity.

Money has always been, and will continue to be, associated with power - and I look forward to a future where women have more of both.

To learn more about what we’re building at Sequin, head over to www.sequincard.com!

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