"International Women's Day is about the recognition of the contributions of women in the everyday and the extraordinary." 

Welcome to WomenShare: a marketing guide for women in financial services. On today’s episode, Joanna Ehresman and Leah Alter are celebrating International Women’s Day, a day of recognition for the impact that women have on societies all over the world. 

The theme of this year’s event is #InspireInclusion, so we’re diving into the different ways that organizations can take action to encourage diversity and advancement for women in the financial services industry.

Part of the mission of WomenShare is to further our commitment to inclusivity, so we also discussed the importance of amplifying the stories of women from diverse backgrounds and experiences. We recognize the need to bring more voices to our show and are dedicated to incorporating diverse perspectives from women of color and different backgrounds in our upcoming episodes. We invite you to hold us accountable and join us in this mission.

In the spirit of inclusivity, we highlighted some fantastic resources and upcoming events in the wealth management and financial services space, including conferences and initiatives focused on empowering and supporting women in the industry. To keep the momentum going, we encourage you to participate in International Women's Day by accessing the resources available on the official International Women's Day website, joining relevant industry events, and taking steps to mentor or sponsor women in your organization.

We'd love to hear from you about any organizations, events, or initiatives that are making a positive impact on women in the financial services industry. Join the conversation on our social media channels and share your suggestions with us.

Key Takeaways:

1. International Women's Day (IWD) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. It's also a call to action for accelerating women's equality. IWD is observed on March 8th every year and has been celebrated for well over a century.

2. The theme of IWD in 2024 is "inspire inclusion," aiming to catalyze people to act in big or small ways to be more inclusive. This can further women's economic empowerment and support women and girls into leadership, decision-making, business, and STEM.

3. There are various ways to inspire inclusion in 2024, such as using the resources provided by the International Women's Day website, mentoring or sponsoring women in the industry, and being proactive about seeking diverse perspectives and representation.

4. The financial services industry is making strides to create inclusive spaces and conferences for women, such as the FA Women's Conference, Carson Group's Excel Represent Conference, Forbes' SHOOK Top Women Advisor Summit, and the Kayo conference series.

5. The hosts of the WomenShare podcast are committed to advancing all women and aim to broaden their representation by inviting guests with diverse perspectives, particularly women of color, on future episodes. They also encouraged the audience to share any organizations contributing to the advancement of women that they think should be highlighted on the show.

Resources Mentioned: 

1. International Women's Day Website: www.internationalwomensday.com
2. Financial Advisor Magazine's Invest in Women Conference: https://faconferences.com/iiw24/
3. Carson Group's Excell Represent Conference- https://www.excellrepresent.com/
4. Forbes' SHOOK Top Women Advisor Summit: https://www.shookresearch.com/2024-forbes-shook-top-women-advisor-summit.php
5. Kayo Conference Series: https://kayoconferenceseries.com
6. The CFP Board Diversity and Inclusion Initiative: https://www.cfp.net/initiatives/diversity-and-inclusion
7. The American College for Financial Services Center for Women in Financial Services: https://www.theamericancollege.edu/centers-of-excellence/center-for-women-in-financial-services