•   'Don't be afraid to push yourself out of your comfort zone'
•   'We need to see more women in senior positions inspiring and mentoring the next generation'
•   'The power of women coming together and achieving great things has the potential to shape a better industry'

Once young females do enter the specialist finance market, we need to treat them like any other individual entering the sector with minimal experience, regardless of gender. The more experienced professionals in the industry have a responsibility to maintain professional standards and avoid defaulting to the “boys’ club” mentality. This needs to apply to both young men and women entering the market, in order to not create an uncomfortable environment for young women, and to avoid young men adopting the attitudes and opinions of their predecessors, who are negatively impacting the sector for the female cohort.  

I firmly believe that everyone within the industry has a duty to combat the negative behaviours and attitudes that still exist. This doesn’t always have to be a public display demonstrating how “not okay” any given situation is — sometimes it may be as simple as not engaging in inappropriate conversations or activities. If more people refused to get involved, such behaviours would gain far less traction than they do now and would eventually become a far smaller issue. 

The more these actions are eliminated, the more welcoming the industry will be for females who do undoubtedly continue to face uncomfortable situations due to their gender. There is no issue with an industry having a greater number of men occupying jobs within it than women — the problem arises when there is discrimination towards the females, predominantly emanating from the male population of the sector. It’s at this point that it becomes toxic for the women trying to forge a career. 

Fortunately, there are men in the industry who are great advocates of females having careers in the industry, and look at all individuals working within the sector based on their individual capability and competency, regardless of gender. 

For women looking to navigate the industry as is, my best tip would be to back yourself. It’s been widely noted that women suffer far more from imposter syndrome than men — they question their abilities and have lower confidence levels than their male counterparts. This feeling of inferiority is a significant barrier, even before any adversity has been faced. 

I believe a great confidence-booster is for everyone to build each other up more. If someone has a positive thought about someone else, or what they’ve achieved, send them a message! In 2023, I would love to see the rise of positive conversations, and it is my pledge this International Women’s Day to make a concerted effort to reach out to others whenever I have something positive to say — and it’d be great to see others doing this too. 

Are you a woman in the financial services industry keen to get your voice heard? Contact [email protected] — we would love to chat!