Scottish Widows has partnered with professional networking group Her Wealth Network to launch a new website, in a bid to address gender equality in financial services.
Herwealthnetwork.co.uk has been designed to help drive greater levels of female representation in financial services, and nurture talent with practical support, in-person engagement and online tools and resources.
Scottish Widows has been shining a spotlighting on the specific financial challenges faced by women for over 20 years through its Women and Retirement Report, with its most recent report revealing that at the current slow rate of progress it will take at least another 20 years before women will retire with the same average pension pot as a man.
Jill Henderson, Pensions Expert at Scottish Widows, said: “The current average gap in pension savings at retirement shows women trailing men by about £100K. There are a number of factors driving this – including the disparity in pay between men and women, and what is often called the ‘motherhood penalty’ where women have to take time out from their careers to raise children.
“The gender pensions gap is just one of many examples of why it is crucial to have greater female representation in financial services, to help ensure advice is inclusive, relevant and accessible to everyone.
“Creating communities – both in person and online – where women can come together, share ideas and take forward activities which will help more females play a leading role in financial service decision making are essential, and we’re proud to support this partnership.”
Her Wealth Network was founded in 2018 (originally as Women in Asset Servicing) by Kate Webber and has seen its membership grow by 200% in that time. With Scottish Widows announcing its sponsorship, plans are underway for a series of events in the second half of 2025 in London, Bristol and Luxembourg, along with a regular schedule of Her Wealth Network podcasts.
Her Wealth Network founder, Kate Webber, said: “Scottish Widows’ work on the gender pension gap is well established and the insights they have shared over the past 20 years from their reports have been groundbreaking for the industry’s understanding of how women’s lives shape their financial futures. We look forward to working with them on more events, podcasts, mentoring with our members and helping women be successful in their chosen careers in financial services.”
