Women’s history month is dedicated to educating and empowering women by uncovering, documenting, and applauding the lives and accomplishments of women. We envision bringing forth a diverse society where everyone’s efforts are equally celebrated and acknowledged.

So, how did this day evolve? This day grew out of celebrations over a whole week pertaining to International Women’s Day. It is now feted in several states as an acknowledgement of the historical role of women. 

How did it all begin?

International Women’s Day (IWD) arose from the labour movement and is now officially recognized as an annual festival by the United Nations. In 1908, 15,000 women marched across New York, demanding fairly short work hours, increased salaries, and the entitlement to vote.

The Socialist Party of America proclaimed the first National Woman’s Day a year afterwards. Clara Zetkin, a communist activist and proponent of female rights, proposed the establishment of an international day. In 1910, she presented her concept to an International Conference of Working Women in Copenhagen, and 100 women from 17 countries concurred.

In 1911, Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland observed International Women’s Day for the first time. The centennial was marked in 2011, so this year marks the 111th. It became official when the United Nations began celebrating the day in 1975. “Celebrating the Past, Planning for the Future” was the first motif implemented (in 1996).

International Women’s Day is now a day to rejoice in how far women have come in societal structure, world affairs, and economics, whereas the day’s ideological roots mean that conflicts and mass demonstrations are structured to inform people of ongoing disparity.

Why March 8?

There was no set date for Clara’s notion for International Women’s Day. It was not formally established until a wartime attack in 1917 when Russian women started demanding “bread and peace”; four days into the strike, the tsar was ousted from power, and the interim government provided women with the right to vote. The strike started on March 8, becoming International Women’s Day. 

Let’s honour the women in Finance

In honour of Women’s History Month, we’re honouring some of the financial industry’s female leaders who cracked the social barriers. But, the real clincher is this: Until the 1960s, women were unable to open a new account. Discover how they paved the way for subsequent generations of female financiers.

1. Abigail Adams – first known female investor.

Abigail Adams lacked the legal right to own assets, but it did not deter her from investing money and taking economic decisions for the family. Her husband, President John Adams, was preoccupied with his political activity. Abigail was in charge of the father’s wealth. According to some researchers, she saw a 400% profit. She also actively urged John to use his power and control for good by advocating for women’s rights, and he treated her as an equivalent.

2. Victoria Woodhull and Tennessee Claflin – Wall Street’s first female stockbrokers.

Victoria Woodhull and Tennessee Clafin were sisters who began their careers as travelling tent revival soothsayers. Ensuring a dream, they travelled to New York and encountered Cornelius Vanderbilt, an entrepreneur who was intrigued by them. 

He later assisted them in establishing their finance company, Woodhull, Claflin & Company (the first in female history). The ladies supported the female suffragette movement, and Victoria was the first woman to run for the U.S. president. 

3. Madam C.J. Walker – The first African-American woman to become a self-made millionaire

Better called Madam C.J. Walker, Sarah Breedlove, transformed an issue into a profitable enterprise. But, what exactly is the issue? She was balding. Madam C.J. looked everywhere for remedies before taking the situation into her own grip and developing Madam Walker’s Wonderful Hair Grower, her Black hair care commodity. 

She gathered a team and amassed a fan base of satisfied customers. As a result, Madam C.J. became the first self-made Black female millionaire thanks to the “Walker System.” She, along with many other Black financial innovators, intended to build business potential for her society by employing Black employees, attempting to make philanthropic efforts, and offering scholarships.

4. Muriel Siebert – The New York Stock Exchange’s first female member.

Muriel Siebert was unafraid of being the only female in space, and she placed her eyes on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) at a young age. Muriel switched careers several times in order to earn the same salary as her male coworkers. However, it took ten tries for her to find investors for her NYSE application.

She, on the other hand, did not give up. Muriel was the only woman on the stock market out of 1,365 men for ten years. She was known as “The First Woman of Finance.” And, have it, there were no women’s restrooms anywhere in the building. As a result, she altered it as well.

5. Lauren Simmons – The New York Stock Exchange’s youngest female trader

Our journey takes us from the first female trader on the NYSE to the youngest female merchant on Wall Street. And the world’s second Black woman trader. Lauren Simmons graduated from Kennesaw State University with a degree in genetics. She cleared her investment test and was hired by Rosenblatt Securities at the age of 22, making history.

6. Adena Friedman – The first female CEO of a global stock exchange.

Adena Friedman is an American-Jewish businesswoman and the President and CEO of NASDAQ. She credits her strength in a male-dominated sector to joining an all-girls school, where she had never been reluctant to raise her arm and pose a question.

Adena began her career at NASDAQ as a business consultant, eventually rising to be the first woman to lead a global stock exchange company. Adena has made a conscious effort all through her professional life to espouse women in leadership and financial education for children. 

Female Finance Professionals’ Future

Did you know that women make investments up to 90% of their income in their family and community? Yet, ever since the disease outbreak, half of all women say they are happier to invest, and seven out of ten say they wish they had started sooner.

We can end up writing a history that enables more female financial executives like the ones we just met by creating a bunch of financially savvy children. So, let’s get to collaborate on a bright economic future for all of us.