International Women’s Day (IWD)

Happy International Women’s Day from Cross Border Financial Planning! In honor of IWD, we have partnered with the BCC and Franco’s to raise money for the Young Women’s Trust.

The Young Women’s Trust aims to create a more equal world of work. They carry out policy research, campaign for change, and reach out to young women across the UK, encouraging visibility, voice, and power.

 

We acknowledge that the financial services industry is heavily male dominated.

A 2019 FCA report found that:

• 16% of FCA-approved financial advisers are female.
• 18% of senior managers within the financial services industry are female.

There is clearly a long way to go to encourage change and facilitate gender diversity within the financial industry. At Cross Border Financial Planning, we recognise that we currently have an all-male advisory team. However, this does not diminish our want to support change and strive for a more equal workplace in the long run.

We are proud that two-thirds of our management team are female. At Cross Border Financial Planning, we endeavor to facilitate an inclusive culture within our workplace.

This International Women’s Day, we are taking the time to celebrate and uplift our female colleagues at Cross Border, whilst acknowledging the long road ahead for a truly equal industry.

IWD is all about raising women’s voices and gaining a new perspective of their everyday experiences. To do this at Cross Border Financial Planning, I asked my female manager to provide a small insight into her experience within the financial services industry.

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“When I started out in financial services in the late 1980s, the industry in the UK looked vastly different from today.

The sector was heavily male-dominated and archaic. When speaking to any of my male managers, we had to call them ‘Mr.,’ and women were often relegated to supporting roles. I had heard of a senior female manager who worked within the Region; however, she was often spoken of in a derogatory and demeaning fashion which only fueled my ambition and determination to succeed.

This ambition often landed me in hot water. I recall an occasion of receiving a verbal warning for insubordination because I questioned why I had to make the tea for the (male) managers. ‘The boys’ within departments were encouraged and allowed to leave work on time or even early so that they did not miss extra-curricular finance classes. However, we ‘girls’ were not afforded that same privilege and were therefore either always late to class or missed them entirely!

Thankfully, my experience at Cross Border is quite different, and I am proud that women are certainly not confined to the sidelines here. We are front and center and have a voice.

Whilst the financial services industry has come a long way since the 1980s, we cannot, however, afford to be complacent and there is still work to be done to break down barriers, build bridges and pave the way for a more equitable and inclusive future for all women in finance. “

Olwen Linge – Office Manager at Cross Border Financial Planning

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