Natixis IM works to reduce gender gap
Natixis Investment Managers is working to narrow the gender gap in financial services by partnering with Future Females in Finance (F3) to encourage women to consider roles in the finance industry.
F3, which was established in 2017, offers structured programs centred on education, work experience and female role models.
The partnership between the two organisations will include six-week work experience programmes for university students with participants solving business problems while supported by a Natixis mentor.
Australia ranks 39th in the world in terms of gender gap compared to New Zealand which ranked seventh. It dropped further to 46th when it came to women’s economic participation and access to opportunity, according to the World Economic Forum.
Louise Watson, managing director for Natixis IM in Australia, said: “Financial services cover a wide range of sectors and jobs and offers plenty of intellectual challenge in addition to financial rewards, but unfortunately, it’s an industry that has traditionally attracted far more men than women. While we have made progress, gender imbalance is still evident.
“Success is when organisations like F3 are no longer needed, because gender imbalance is no longer a problem. I hope and expect that our partnership with F3 will go some way towards achieving that aim.”
F3 founder, Camilla Love, added: “Women are still woefully under-represented in financial services in Australia, so it’s great to have major players encouraging the next generation of young women.
“Experience tells us that women working in teams to solve real problems is a more effective way of introducing them to the challenges and excitement of financial services than the traditional work experience model – which often saw young women working alone in a male-dominated office and possibly feeling intimidated or unsure about the suitability of financial services as a career.”
AUTHOR
Laura Dew
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