(Finance) – Despite the progress of recent years, most women are convinced that the role of men is still predominant in the investment world.
Opstart, the main crowdinvesting hub in Italy, double the market average for the number of female investors. As? Thanks to the attention to issues such as sustainability and the environment, to a team made up of 60% women, but also thanks to the higher interest rates that the platform pays to women. Why does the platform do all this? To reduce gender differences in the world of investments, helping women to achieve independence in the management of their capital.
What can motivate women to invest?
As far as the world of crowdfunding is concerned, certainly the fact that the returns are clearly higher than the market average. Of course – he explains Giovanpaolo Arioldi – crowdfunding is riskier than other operations, but on our portals we work to select serious and solid companies and to introduce guarantees, where possible. For example, we have the departure first lending crowdfunding campaign in Italy with a guarantee from a credit consortium (Fidi Liguria network). And then, another aspect that we have seen of interest to our community of investors is sustainability: innovation and sustainability are often associated, because innovative projects are the ones most attentive to the future of the planet. And crowdfunding is added to this combination in many cases, because innovative companies are the ones that present themselves most on our portals.
How to reduce gender differences?
In our opinion – says the CEO of Opstart – the achievement of gender equality also passes through the independent management of their finances by women. This is why it is “important to try to bring the female audience” closer to alternative finance: this is certainly possible through “training initiatives”, but also thanks to “promotions” – such as the one activated in the month of March on Crowdlender – which make it possible to attract their attention.
How to support women in the challenges of this sector?
As far as female investors – or potential ones – surely it can be important dedicated customer serviceattentive to their needs. If we think of insiders in the world of finance, still with a male majority, another important issue – concludes Arioldi – is to encourage women to approach economic-financial subjects right from university and then – as far as what we can do in our small way – try to maintain a balance between genders within the team, together with equal pay.
(Photo: © Davide Fiorenzo De Conti / 123RF)