Women in Fund Management

For more than a quarter century, the National Council for Research on Women has promoted the advancement of women and girls and highlighted the benefits of women's participation, active engagement and leadership in decision-making. In this project, the Council brings this same lens to the historically male-dominated spaces of fund management and the financial services more broadly.

Our report, Women in Fund Management: A Road Map for Achieving Critical Mass – and Why it Matters [1], explores the under-representation of women in the field, draws on research suggesting the benefits women can bring, and lays out concrete action steps for change. Specifically, we call on the financial services industry to develop a “critical mass principle” with quantifiable benchmarks and guidelines for increasing the number of women at all leadership levels.

At this time of historic challenge and change in the financial services industry, the problems are myriad and daunting – but the opportunities are equally huge. We must seize those opportunities and create a more stable, sustainable system – one that includes women as well as men. We hope you will join us in this project as we move forward and press for needed change.