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Women in History That Impacted Finance

Women in History That Impacted Finance

Women are celebrated for their motivation to become financially independent, but this was not always the norm. Historically, society viewed men as the financially savvy breadwinners, while women were viewed as incapable of accumulating significant wealth. However, trailblazers paved the way for women to step into their financial power by challenging the status quo.

Abigail Adams- Influenced women to have financial independence

Although Abigail Adams was primarily known as the wife of founding father John Adams, she fought for her right to have financial independence. At the time, married women managing the finances of the house was unheard of and even looked down upon.
Abigail took care of the finances at home, but she also taught herself how to invest by trading bonds.

Jackie Speier- Congresswoman who advocated for the Pink Tax Act

Jackie Speier is a fearless congresswoman that dedicated her life to women’s rights by working on legislation that would eliminate gender-based pricing. Aside from the Pink Tax Act, she worked on legislation to protect women by advocating for reproductive freedom, equal pay for equal work, and the Me Too Congress Act, to name a few.

Henrietta Green- First woman to become a value investor

Henrietta Green was one of the nation’s first value investors. Even though she came from a wealthy family, she used her knowledge of finances to invest her money. For example, when her father gave her beautiful dresses to attract a rich suiter, she instead sold the clothing and used the proceeds to invest in government bonds.

Millicent Garrett Fawcett- Economist who was known for political activism

Millicent Garrett Fawcett was well-known for her political activism, dedication to promoting women’s rights, and understanding of economics. She was an essential asset to the women’s suffrage movement. She wrote many books, including “Political Economy for Beginners,” a short book that broke down economics contents into more digestible pieces.

Francine Blau- Economist who researched the gender pay gap

Francine Blau is a fierce economist that continues to research the gender pay gap at Cornell University. She wrote countless publications on the gender wage gap in U.S., including a book, “The Economics of Men, Women, and Work,” where she explores gender issues in today’s labor market.

Muriel Siebert- First woman to have a seat on the NYSE

Muriel Siebert is known as “The First Woman of Finance,” because she was the first woman out of the 1,365 men to have a seat on the NYSE. She also founded and served as the president of Siebert Financial Corp., which made her the first woman to run one of the NYSE’s firms.

Siebert believed in helping other women succeed, so she donated millions of dollars to help other women start their own businesses.

Thasunda Brown Duckett- First Black CEO of Chase

Thasunda Brown Duckett is the first African-American to become CEO of consumer banking at JPMorgan Chase. Duckett is the founder of Otis & Rosie Brown Foundation charity that recognizes unsung heroes who make a difference in their communities.

Maggie Lena Walker- First Black woman to own a bank

Maggie Lena Walker made history as the first Black woman to own a bank in 1903. It was called The St. Luke Penny Savings Bank, and it quickly became a catalyst for economic advancement in the Black community.

Source: magnifymoney.com

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