The principles of investing have been instilled in me from a young age; passed down from generation to generation of women, who made sure I learned the value of sacrificing for a greater gain in the future.
I’ve always been of the opinion that investing is actually a women’s sport; and so it surprises me to see how under-represented we are in the investment space. While I tend to stay away from sweeping generalisations about a whole people’s practices and strengths, I cannot help but feel that there is an under-representation of women in the greater finance sector. I would love to see more light shed on the collective strength that I believe women possess, as well as our natural flair for investing.
This natural flair for investing reveals itself in the other ways and things we invest in. As evidenced in events such as #JSESheInvests, women are investing in the most valuable resources we have: time, self-empowerment and knowledge. The JSE She Invests arena hosted about 600 people; the most I had ever seen at an industry event. These women took to Maude Street in their time off on a Saturday in search of anything that could bolster their financial independence. And it made me think… is there more we can do outside of just one event, or month in the year, to come together and actively empower ourselves and each other?
Writing a new story
The principles of investing have been instilled in me from a young age; passed down from generation to generation of women, who made sure I learned the value of sacrificing for a greater gain in the future. I’ve sustained those values by surrounding myself with friendships and likeminded people who push me to greater heights and keep me on my feet.
Each person comes with his or her own story and experiences, and so I get that there is never a one size fits all solution. In the same way that we all have to face and fight stereotypes in every aspect of our lives, including our finances, sometimes the biggest shifts begin within ourselves. There are some studies that suggest that women are overly risk-averse and that females are typically concerned with “safety” where finance is concerned.
Though this may be the case for a lot of women, and while I do think that risk is a reasonable factor to consider when investing (although I would also ask what kind of risk you face if you don’t start investing); I feel that the stock market is a place that really gives women the opportunity to assert themselves. There are already many South Africans, such as Nicollette Mashile, Anthea Gardner, Samke Mhlongo, and Nerina Visser, who are giving investing a voice by doing just that. These ladies have become my investing heroes. By sharing their journeys and experiences, they have encouraged and inspired so many other women to overcome their fears and take charge of their own finances as well.
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I want to give a shout-out to the femmes changing the game and a call to all of us to empower each other and ourselves in our finance journey – whatever stage we’re at – not just in Women’s Month, but 365 days a year.
If there’s a women in your life that needs help in kick starting her investment journey, Tweet @EasyEquities using #WomenInvest365 and I’ll help you to empower them with a R50 voucher, and at the same time earn Easy Money to offset against your EasyEquities brokerage fees.
Happy investing!
Busisiwe