Knowledge-Transfer Webinar: Earning space and earning power

Women in Wind held its third Knowledge-Transfer Webinar last week, on the topics of diversity and inclusion, work-life balance and financial security. We were delighted to welcome Monica Stancu, Diversity and Inclusion Manager, The Royal Academy of Engineering (pictured second from the top above), Maren Wölfl, Certified Business Coach and Inspirational Speaker, and Aysha van de Paer, Author of Investing for Women and Professional Investor, to share their insights with our program Participants in a closed-door webinar.

Some of the insights include:

• Monica provided an overview of the ways in which gender and racial bias in engineering can produce sub-optimal results, or products which function better for certain groups above others. She delineated the different tools for policymakers to increase diversity in their workforces, ranging from blind applications to adopting an intersectional approach. 
• Maren spoke about the importance of finding your own path in your career, as our own personal expectations of performance are often the biggest barriers to satisfaction. she touched on the challenges for working mothers in particular, and emphasised the need to just say no when the demands of work become overwhelming.
• Aysha provided the final presentation by raising the vital issue of the gender investment gap: Not only do women earn less for the same work as men, but they also statistically tend to save and invest less, and they live longer. This leaves women vulnerable to having to stretch fewer resources for a longer time. She provided a practical overview of easy investment options, from ETFs to robo-advisers, and encouraged participants to become confident investors.

During a Q&A session, webinar participants learned more about the various options available for socially responsible investing. The group also discussed the pros and cons of quotas versus targets to increase women’s representation in a workforce, and the practicalities of flexible working. 

Finally, each speaker provided a piece of vital advice to the group, among them:

1. Ask for what you want – if you don’t ask, you’ll never get it.
2. Practice compassion and be kind to yourself.
3. Look at investing as a basic necessity – safeguarding the food and shelter of your future.