Why Playing by the Financial Rules Still Leaves Women Broke
Reclaiming Financial Power in an Unjust World
For too long, women have navigated a financial landscape shaped by—and for—men. Despite chronic underpayment and structural inequity, women today are an undeniable economic force: educated, employed, and increasingly entrepreneurial. Yet, the traditional narratives around risks, returns, and retirement often fail to address their realities and perspectives. It’s time to challenge these narratives and think: what does wealth really mean in the 21st century?
Trust The Market?
“Don’t panic. Stay for the long run. Trust the market.” This mantra—often delivered by thirty-something financial advisors in crisp suits, assumes that the system works if you just trust it long enough. Eventually it will pay off.
I don’t buying it. And I am not the only one. For many women, particularly those from Gen X or older boomers cohort, this advice feels increasingly out of touch. These generations have weathered multiple economic crises: the 1973 oil crisis, the 1980s double-dip recession, the 1990–91 recession, the dot-com bubble burst, the 2008 financial crash, and the COVID-19 pandemic. They’ve worked in underpaid and undervalued sectors like education and care—industries essential to society but rarely rewarded with financial security. The retirement funds of these women feel more like emergency funds than true safety nets. Stability is not a given; it’s a daily negotiation. A market crash isn’t a blip—it’s an existential threat.
Trust the system? For women witnessing the rights they fought for being stripped away piece by piece, while climate crises rage and billionaires buy elections like candy, that advice feels not just naïve—but insulting. Their portfolios are not just numbers on a screen; they represent years of sacrifice and hard work. They reflect slashed grocery spending, second jobs, and childcare juggling acts.
Yet the industry keeps recycling the same old script. Why? Because acknowledging the truth—that the system never designed for women to win—would require changing it.
Traditional notions of wealth—rooted in capital accumulation and generational inheritance—are increasingly inadequate for addressing today’s challenges. Climate change, democratic backsliding, and growing economic inequality demand a broader perspective on what it means to be "wealthy."
Women are already leading the way. They’re reframing wealth not as hoarded capital, but as:
A livable planet - the only inheritance that truly matters
Building strong communities - in difficult times we need them more than ever.
Cultural capital: Shared values, knowledge, generational wisdom.
Emotional wealth: mental wellbeing, purpose, fulfilment
This shift isn’t philosophical—it’s survival. When wildfires erase suburbs, a diversified stock portfolio means little.
The Tyranny of Short-Termism
Modern capitalism thrives on speed: break things and move fast, chase quarterly profits, disrupt and move on. But this approach is fundamentally at odds with women’s financial realities.
Women are not risk-averse; they are risk-aware. This distinction is critical. While men might go for big risks to chase big rewards, women usually prioritise financial security, diversification, and sustainable growth. And it works. Studies have shown that women, when they do invest, tend to outperform men because they trade less frequently, avoid speculative bubbles, and keep their eyes on the long game.
Reclaiming the narrative
However, women are often excluded from decision-making processes that shape economic systems. The result is a culture that rewards speed and greed while penalising caution and care.
It's time for women to reclaim the financial narrative. Whether by investing in ethical funds, supporting local economies, divesting from harmful industries, or boycotting products and companies our financial choices can—and should—reflect are values and interest.
The current economic system is failing most people—and women are among those bearing the impact of its shortcomings. But instead of bending further under its weight, what if we dared to imagine something new? What if we prioritise investments that benefit not just ourselves but our communities and the planet? What if retirement wasn’t an individual milestone, but a collective success? What if profit wasn’t measured by accumulation, but by impact?
These aren’t just radical questions—they’re essential ones. By redefining wealth to include social, environmental, cultural, and emotional dimensions, women can create a more equitable future—not just for themselves but for everyone. This isn’t just about money. It’s about power, dignity, and agency.
Let’s stop playing a game rigged against us—and start writing new rules that work for everyone.