Editor's view: Challenging the 'male-dominated' advice narrative

The editor's Friday Night Takeaway from 8 November

Jen Frost
clock • 3 min read

Our top story this week celebrates the winners at the Women in Financial Advice Awards, affectionately known as WIFA.

Benchmark's Gillian Hepburn wrote a great piece for PA on how to impress the WIFA judges. It's full of practical tips and well worth a look for next year. One point that Hepburn raises is quite sticky – and that's on some of the language and clichés many of us use around the gender balance in financial services. In particular, Hepburn takes issue with the use of the phrase ‘male-dominated industry' to describe advice. "There is certainly a gender imbalance at certain levels and for some roles," Hepburn argues. "However, dominance propagates negativity, suggesting power and influence."...

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