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About the Book

Title: Why Women Are Poorer Than Men And What We Can Do About It 

Author: Annabelle Williams

Genre: Nonfiction, Feminism, Gender, Womens, Sociology, Economics, Politics

Publisher: Michael Joseph

Publication Date: April, 2020

Pages: 288, Paperback

Every time I turned a page of Why Women Are Poorer Than Men And What We Can Do About It By Annabelle Williams, I was infuriated. 

I mean, we already know of the existing pay gap between genders. But bloody hell! No matter what aspect you look at it, from government policies and workplace environments to cultural and social constructs, women are ever at a disadvantage. Moreover, it creates a wealth gap in the long run that affects women more, making them poorer. 

Economic inequality is as rampant now as it was centuries ago when women could not even own properties or open bank accounts under their name. 

“In every part of our lives that touches on money women are financially disadvantaged, from work to state benefits, from savings to childcare and entrepreneurship.” ~Annabelle Williams

Get Your Copy of Why Women Are Poorer Than Men And What We Can Do About It By Annabelle Williams

Sure, we have made some strides in the right direction. For example, I can now walk into a financial institution and open a bank account under my name, buy investment assets without the need for a male guardian, and make choices on whether I want children or not. Still, we have a long way to go to fix the economic and wealth inequalities that still keep women poorer than men. 

For instance, necessities for women, like menstrual products, are taxed and usually come with a high price tag. Some countries have offered subsidies, and others provided free products for a few, but not the majority. Why can’t these things be just free or more affordable and tax-free? Women spend thousands of shillings over their lifetime paying for these, from tampons to painkillers, and loss of work and pay when one needs a few days off work due to cramps. Let’s not even get started on other family planning alternatives like vasectomies versus the many expensive options available to women.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. 

So, imagine how much women could accumulate in wealth if we didn’t have to pay such high price tags and taxes for our necessities and instead put this money in investments like buying stocks? A LOT! 

The bottom line is that all these factors narrow down to women: 

• Earning less than men
• Saving less than men
• Investing less than men
• And because women live longer than men, it means surviving on meager savings and investments 

Enraging as all the reasons why women are poorer than men are and the history of women fighting to be independent is, Annabelle offers some solutions for women. First, there is a chapter on money as self-care, an excellent reminder for women to take care of their finances. It talks about building a solid foundation by having an emergency fund, saving for other financial goals, setting something aside for your retirement, and setting aside time to look and think about your finances regularly. This is where I tell all women reading this to start by paying themselves first going forward. 

In the last chapter of the book, she also talks about investing, which is an excellent way to build wealth. While this chapter feels rushed and could have probably been more detailed, it does provide some of the basic tips for investments to get you started. In this chapter, she defines what investing is and what to consider before investing and demystifies some of the common myths that keep many women from investing.

The research and articulation of women’s issues in this book are quite insightful and enlightening. The prose is nothing short of excellent!  

While the author states that the book is written from the perspective of Western Europe with a few mentioned statistics about other parts of the world, it is not hard to see that most, if not all, of these issues affect women everywhere.

All I can say is that this is a MUST-read for everyone, especially women. Get yourself a copy! 

Get Your Copy of Why Women Are Poorer Than Men And What We Can Do About It By Annabelle Williams

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My ★ Rating 5

Goodreads ★ Rating 4.36 (as of December 2021)