Let's #breakthebias on March 8th.

As we prepare to recognize International Women’s Day on March 8th, I want to share how proud I am of the work we are doing to #breakthebias—creating an inclusive environment where diverse thinking and perspectives thrive and people feel comfortable bringing their authentic selves to what they do each day—at New York Life Investments. Every day, I’m inspired by the strength and leadership of our team and the women I work alongside—women who confidently own their careers and bring tremendous talent and vision to their roles.

We have come a long way since the first International Women’s Day gathering was held in 1911, but as the statistics show, there is still a long way to go. Today, women lead only 6% of the country’s top 3,000 companies. Women also invest 40% less than men, negatively impacting their financial well-being and their ability to prepare for retirement. At New York Life Investments, we are committed to addressing and changing this dynamic. In 2019, we introduced the Women and Investing program, which provides financial advisors with the tools, resources, and solutions to develop deeper connections with their female clients and prospects to improve their financial outlook.

Building on the success of this program, we launched the dual impact IQ Engender Equality ETF (EQUL) in 2021 with Girls who Code. EQUL invests in companies that are leading the way in gender equality in the workplace, taking factors like the gender balance in senior management ranks and corporate boards, pay gap, and parental leave policies into consideration. Through our partnership with Girls who Code, we are helping to further its mission of supporting and increasing the number of women in STEM fields, many of whom come from underrepresented groups. As one of only four women in my mechanical engineering class at Northwestern University, this is a cause that’s particularly close to my heart.

Today, and every day, let’s commit to working together to drive change to #breakthebias. Together, we can help create a world that’s free of stereotype and discrimination, where differences are valued and celebrated, and where everyone has a better financial future.

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