By Karen Lewis
Hands up those of you who want to learn about the stock market, mutual funds and R.R.S.P’s. Any men who raised hands put them down, because you’re not getting invited.
A series of four seminars, entitled “Women and Wealth,” will be held after reding week. They are free of charge, but in order to register you must be female.
Third-year Ryerson business student Lara Gunter is organizing the series to help people get on the “road to financial independence.”
“The reason I am restricting women to this is because if there are two or three women in a room of 20 or 30 men, they tend to feel intimidated,” Gunter said. “They don’t feel comfortable asking questions.”
Gunter said it’s important that she create a learning environment for women without having to worry about “some guy who knows it all.” Gunter hopes to attract women in non-business programs who have had a little exposure to personal financial planning.
The Ryerson Women’s Centre and the Ryerson Accounting and Investment Society are sponsoring the seminars. Both organizations are supportive of Gunter’s decision to close the door on men.
Gwen Yorston of Ryerson’s Women’s Centre feels that high finance is an area that women have not traditionally been involved in. “I think women may feel that men will have more knowledge in the seminar,” Yorston said. “They may feel insecure.”
Creating a more comfortable environment for women is not the only reason Gunter has excluded men on learning the basics of finance.
“Women approach investment in a different way than men,” Gunter said.
On average, women live longer and make less money than men. “They have to handle money differently,” she said. As a result, Gunter plans to present the seminars “from a female perspective.”
She feels “women tend to be more cautious when it comes to investing.” She says they don’t invest for fear of “losing their shirt, or their blouse, as the case may be.” She is willing to “lead them (women) by the hand and show them how it is done.”
“My whole goal is to get women involved,” she said. In the future, she may consider welcoming both sexes to her seminars. For now, she does not seem concerned that she is excluding Ryerson’s male community. “I know I’m going to get some heat, but I don’t care.”
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