As it is International Women’s Day on 8th March, I have come together with some of the female UK Money Bloggers to write about women and personal finance. I will share a list of the other blogs you can visit at the end of this post.

I feel very strongly about financial education and financial empowerment, especially for women. It is one of the main reasons I became a money coach. All around us we are bombarded with messages of how women manage money and we need to take positive action to correct those! I do believe that we are becoming more empowered than ever but we still need to bash those stereotypes on the head!

Why is it that some women can hold their own in a boardroom yet crumble when it comes to managing their money? I feel that it has something to do with myths and society’s conditioning that women need more help or even different advice. But the truth is, money doesn’t even know what sex you are!

Some of the myths and stereotypes that are bandied around:

We need a handsome chappy to come and look after us financially.

Women can’t earn as much as men.

Women need more help to manage their money.

Women are bad with money.

Men are the breadwinners.

Bleurgh!!!

They do not have to be true! Women can be independent, empowered, knowledgeable and successful when it comes to managing their money.

It is not a great secret that when it comes to money, women are different to men and we do often have different relationships with money. After all, we face our own set of unique challenges: less time in the workplace, earning less, living longer. It is a well-reported fact that money and emotions are often inseparable, money is so much more than just notes and coins.

Although the gap in wages is getting smaller, it is still a well-known fact that women earn less. BBC scandal anyone?! When talking to other women about their thoughts on this, one thread that comes up time and time again is that we are far less likely to ask for a pay-rise and we are more uncomfortable with having conversations about money. We need to start breaking the taboos and talk about dosh, cash, moolah, become more empowered! Why is it that people will happily talk about sex yet will not talk about money?! We need to be talking to our daughters, nieces, granddaughters, goddaughters about money and arming them with confidence and knowledge.

Let’s create a new generation of financially-savvy females!

• Lynn from Mrs Mummy Penny talks about inspiring women
• Jennifer from MamaFurFur talks about what she’d teach her daughter 
• Joleisa from Penny Pinchers’ Paradise talks about showing your financial worth as a stay-at-home-mum
• Hollie from Thrifty Mum talks about closing the gender pay gap
• Emma from The Money Whisperer writes an open letter to her daughters
• Faith from Much More with Less talks about women and investing
• Araminta from Financially Mint writes about women getting a finance degree
• Kaya from Earning by the Sea wonders whether MLM is empowering or exploiting women
• Eileen at Your Money Sorted says that women need to talk about money
• Emma at Mum’s Savvy Savings writes about raising sporty girls
• Cass from The Diary of a Frugal Family shares 15 tips to help you if you’re a working mum
• Nikki from The Female Money Doctor writes about how great women need great support
• Jamie from Thrifty Mumma, Thrifty Bubba writes about money mantras she has learned
• Nicola from The Frugal Cottage wonders why more women aren’t investing
• Maria from The Money Principle shares a checklist to debunk reasons why women don’t invest
• Jane from Lady Janey shares skills that mean women are better at customer service