As more women enter the tech world, they are doing so with confidence. According to a paper published by IMF on Women in Fintech, it’s important to look beyond stereotypes and just go for what you want.
In the past decade, women have been able to take advantage of more digital financial services as a result of the mass-scale adoption of digital financial services (DFS). Such services have allowed women to be more active participants in the economy and in larger community networks.
The Ways Through Which Women Are Paving The Way For More Women In Fintech:
Women are making waves in fintech, and we’re here to celebrate them! Here are three inspiring women and the ways through which they are paving the way for female entrepreneurship in the financial technology space.
Optimism- An Attitude Reflecting Belief and Hope:
Positivity and optimism are two important traits that can help anyone achieve success in their personal and professional lives. It leads to better coping skills, reduction in stress levels, and better determination when it comes to pursuing goals. So if you’re a woman leader, take heed of this advice and stay positive and optimistic. You’ll be glad you did.
Case Study: Catherine Wines, Director & Co-Founder, WorldRemit
Catherine co-founded WorldRemit in 2010 when the remittance industry was worth $700 billion and had traditionally underserved millions of migrants across the globe. This market lacked a digital alternative that could scale with demand to meet people’s needs for fast, affordable, and reliable ways to send money home. So she created one – pioneering mobile money transfers through partnerships with telcos around the world.
Her experience in founding and scaling one of the fastest-growing fintech companies has enabled her to invest her time in aspiring women and various other marginalized groups in the field of technology.
Her journey wasn’t easy though- but she says that it is because of her optimistic attitude and faith in herself that she overcame obstacles.
She is a strong advocate of women empowerment and instilling in them the faith that barriers can be overcome- irrespective of age. Role models like Catherine play a vital role in breaking the stereotypes and showing the world what women can achieve with the right attitude.
Diversity- The Art of Thinking Independently Together:
The fintech industry has more than twice as many male employees as female employees, which means that there are fewer role models to look up to and be mentored by for other women in the field. Fortunately, there are plenty of organisations that are advocates of diversity and inclusion and seek to help women in fintech develop their careers through networking, skill-building opportunities, and mentorship programs. These three groups are paving the way for other women looking to get started in the fintech field.
Case Study: Silvija Martincevic, CEO Affirm, Inc.:
As the Chief Commercial Officer of Affirm, Inc., Silvija Martincevic’s career in finance and technology has been an inspiration to many women looking to enter the industry.
With her outstanding performance in both male-dominated fields, she is a strong voice for diversity in organisations. Not just a voice though, because with her at the helm, Affirm has seen tremendous growth. The company now serves millions of customers across the United States and is one of the most prominent fintech firms in the world.
Silvija’s life story is a living example for everyone to encourage diversity.
Commitment- The Transformation of a Promise into a Reality:
As more women enter the world of tech and fintech, they are proving themselves to be a force to be reckoned with. We have seen resilience and commitment on their part to make a name in the industry. Their consistent hard work has proved that nothing is impossible when you are fully dedicated to turning your dreams into reality.
Case Study: Susanne Chishti, CEO FINTECH Circle:
Susanne Chishti, CEO FINTECH Circle, is another inspiring female leader in fintech, having built her career in fintech before “fintech” was even an official term. She has shown the world that commitment is all it takes to break stereotypes. She is always seen encouraging other female investors, founders, and leaders and was recently interviewed for a show called #BreakTheBIAS. “It’s all about getting more women on board,” said Chisti.
Case Study: Sophie Guibaud, Managing Director Europe, Fidor Group:
Sophie’s career has been a fusion of finance and startups. Coming into the fintech industry came naturally to her approximately eight years ago, after a good six years in the finance industry and a commitment to assist startups in flourishing.
She is passionate about assisting organisations in coming up with new proposals as an intrapreneur. Sophie considers this a way of giving back to the community by helping the startups. She also takes this as an opportunity to tackle the new challenges of the industry. Furthermore, Sophie has also been a speaker on topics advocating the association between banks and fintech. She believes that this is a truly exciting point in the industry where there is an open future, both for banks and fintech.
Conclusion:
Today, women are leading by example and proving that they can accomplish much more than what had been previously considered possible. So while the Fintech industry still has a gender diversity problem, it is evolving into a women-inclusive industry, slowly but surely. We need more women leaders to come forward and pave the way for more women, only then we’ll be better prepared for the future of work.
