Contributed by: Center for Financial Planning, Inc. 
How do we close the gender divide in the field of financial planning? It’s a question we ask ourselves frequently here at Center for Financial Planning. Maybe it’s because there’s that sticky 23% statistic – the percentage of Certified Financial Planners who are female – that just won’t seem to budge. Maybe we tend to talk about it at The Center because 2 of our 3 founders were women. That was back in the ‘80s when the gender divide was even greater.
Inspired by the #ILookLikeAnEngineer social trend, we decided it was time to act locally and think globally. We’re not just fighting stereotypes, we want to see real change in the ranks … from the number of young women applying to financial planning programs to the number of female partners at firms large and small. We’re joining the mission of the CFP Board’s Women’s Initiative:
WIN‘s mission is to identify why relatively few women choose to become part of the financial planning profession, to make recommendations for encouraging and supporting women to pursue careers in financial planning, and to undertake efforts and campaigns to address the “feminine famine” in financial planning.
And with just a blank piece of paper, a sharpie, the camera in your phone and an Internet connection, you can be part of the movement. If you’re a female CFP, make your sign and share it with #ILookLikeaCFP. It is time for change.
Any opinions are those of Center for Financial Planning, Inc. and not necessarily those of Raymond James. Links are being provided for information purposes only. Raymond James is not affiliated with and does not endorse the opinions or services of CFP Board's Women’s Initiative. Raymond James is not affiliated with and does not endorse, authorize or sponsor any of the listed websites or their respective sponsors. Raymond James is not responsible for the content of any website or the collection or use of information regarding any website's users and/or members.