Women’s Financial Literacy & Security
Women urgently need to be empowered with the necessary knowledge and confidence to achieve financial security. As we continue to live longer and for longer periods on our own, this becomes a pressing issue.
WIRE’s work on women’s financial literacy came out of the knowledge that women did not talk about planning for their financial future. Statistically, we knew that women’s average superannuation balance was around $45,000 which is not enough to support women in retirement.
November 2011: 10ThousandGirl Planning Workshops
We are pleased to support 10thousandgirl – an Australian not-for-profit organisation that is committed to seeing every young woman take action toward developing and fulfilling her life plan.
10thousandgirl provides financial literacy education that is credible, accessible, relevant and practical to women, and aims to achieve meaningful, long-term behavioural change that helps women reach their financial and other life goals.
10thousandgirl wants every young woman (15-40 years) across Australia to:
- Have a life plan with goals that are written down
- Learn to plan, save and invest for a self-funded future
- Have a minimum 3-6 months wages in accessible savings as an emergency fund
- Have sufficient and relevant insurance
- Know what comes in, what goes out, and where her money is invested
- Have access to a supportive network
- Contribute to our broader economic prosperity and wellbeing
- Have the opportunity to contribute to the wellbeing of women in less developed countries
Find out more by visiting www.10thousandgirl.com.
April 2010: Young Women & Money Research Report
Funded by Consumer Affairs Victoria, this research explored young women’s relationship with money, credit and debt through a gender lens. Identified effective mediums to communicate financial information to young women and made recommendations to respective government agencies and the Australian Banking Association.
Young Women & Money Research Report 2010 (830 KB)
2009: Women Employment Survey
WIRE worked with women’s information services located in most states and territories to develop and disseminate the survey questionnaire. The survey was developed to look at specific issues women face in seeking paid work and/or engaging in paid work in order to better understand what information or support is needed to help women. economic Security4Women provided additional funding to complete the data analysis and prepare a final report.
Read more about the Women Employment Survey
2008 to 2010: Women & Money Partnership Project
Our state-wide partnership project with Queen Victoria Women’s Centre and Office of Women’s Policy (Victoria) offered financial literacy training workshops and seminars to women in communities across Victoria. WIRE developed the workshop manual which was used in the training and supervision of workshop facilitators each year.
Read more about our Women & Money 2010 program
2008: Women Understanding Money
We developed these new information sheets in partnership with the Security4Women Secretariat and as a member of the economic Security4Women (eS4W) National Alliance. WIRE also helped Federal Office for Women and Australian Financial Literacy Foundation to develop information sheet topics and content.
A Woman’s Guide to Surviving the Money Jungle
WIRE developed this simple ten-step money guide to meet women’s financial literacy needs.
Guide to Surviving Money Jungle Foldout (765 KB)
August 2007: Women’s Financial Literacy Research Report
Funded by Helen Macpherson-Smith Trust, this report revealed that even highly educated, well-paid women felt overwhelmed, clueless and fearful about managing finances.
Women’s Financial Literacy Research Report 2007 (2.5 MB)
May 2006: Women’s Financial Needs Survey
This WIRE survey was conducted in national partnership with Women’s Information Services. The survey asked women what financial information they needed and how they felt about planning for their financial future.
WIRE Publications Order Form 2012 (239 KB)
