Why Women Invest Less in Capital Markets Than Men And How We Can Change That

In a media contribution for the F.A.Z., Prof. Dr. Alexandra Niessen-Ruenzi, Chair of Corporate Governance at the University of Mannheim, also highlights the role of the family environment, where financial topics are often discussed more with boys than with girls.

In order to further close the Gender Investment Gap, changes in upbringing are necessary. So-called “finfluencers” can also help to raise awareness of the topic among the general public; however, Niessen-Ruenzi recommends taking courses at adult education centers for more reliable information.

When women do participate in the capital market, they are, on average, just as successful as men; however, they often have less income available for investment in the first place. This situation is linked to broader societal issues, such as a lack of childcare and the so-called part-time trap, and results in women receiving lower pensions on average than men.

In addition to state interventions that can counteract this, Niessen-Ruenzi also recommends that women themselves engage with financial topics and plan their retirement provision.

You can read the full article here

Members of the university can access the article via the F.A.Z library portal.