Empowering women in finance with the JSE – Sandton Chronicle

The Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) is equipping women with the financial tools to access their financial freedom.

The stock exchange hosted over 400 attendees at its fourth annual, virtual She Invests conference on August 21.

The event forms part of the stock exchanges efforts to boost female participation in the investment community by empowering, supporting and educating women who want to achieve financial security through investing.

According to JSE CEO Dr Leila Fourie, female economic empowerment is more critical now than ever as women, due to the pandemic, are worse off financially in comparison to men.

She Invests gives us at the JSE the opportunity to reflect what the role of women is and what we can do to change that.

According to the United Nations (UN), a majority of women work in the sectors that were the hardest hit by the pandemic. It is reported that women are 24% more likely to lose their jobs or suffer from a steep income fall in addition to the sheer uphill climb of the gender pay gap.

In addition, it was reported that many women did not feel confident that they would make the right investment decisions.

Host of the event, financial guru and bestselling author Nicolette Mashile, added that this is why discussions such as these were imperative to motivate and encourage women to explore opportunities in the financial sector.

The investment and financial sector is really not as intimidating as many women think it is and with the right help and tools, many women can realise their potential. We are here to say that we are creating a safe space for the individuals to engage, and females especially, to come to enable a future society that is economically sustainable, she said.

Panel discussions hosted some of the top women in personal finance, sharing life-changing insights and financial skills on how to plan for uncertainties.

According to financial journalist Maya Fisher-French, the pandemic has made people more conscious of the ever-changing circumstances that impact their finances. We are currently living in an unknown; a pandemic that has left no one untouched. Certainty is a construct of our imagination, a false sense of security, but the pandemic has shown us that those who are adaptable will pivot.

Fisher-French added that it was found that 47% of people, in the past year, had more than one income formal or informal. The reality is that many peoples primary income has not been able to keep up with inflation rates or make ends meet. This is why many people, including women, should consider investment opportunities.

She added that many people do not realise that investing has been significantly simplified over the years, including various do-it-yourself opportunities and easily accessible financial planners. Your personal finances are really important, and what stops people from dealing with it is fear. You just have to grab the bull by the horns and start working on it, Fisher-French concluded.

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Empowering women in finance with the JSE - Sandton Chronicle