Letters: Time to go back to school
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[Re: Most women don’t ‘feel financially independent’ as cost of living crisis bite, yesterday]
The results from the Fidelity International survey show that less than half (45 per cent) of women feel financially independent. During a time where people are likely to be facing rising costs, it seems challenging to control and improve finances, and this can negatively impact one’s relationship with money.
This is why financial education is crucial. People are facing spiralling costs and it can be overwhelming knowing how to budget, and what these rising costs actually mean.
By offering financial education programmes and targeted lesson plans, we canweand high-quality resources, we can carve the space for a generation of financially capable people, equipped with the knowledge to navigate the challenges that these rising costs may bring and support them to thrive in today’s society.
We know that lifelong habits and behaviours around money are formed by the age of seven. Financial education programmes should start early, to provide young people with practical opportunities to understand the value of money and build a healthy mindset with it.
Female financial independence is fundamental in helping to break the gender bias around employment and money. Financial capability starts with equipping women to build the confidence to take control over their finances, so they can adapt to changes in circumstances, tackle challenges head on and seize opportunities.
Sharon Davies