Why Women Don’t Invest And Why That’s Changing Now
How history shaped women’s relationship with capital and why the next wave of investors looks different.
We were told to save. To be cautious. To wait. But that advice didn’t come from nowhere. It came from a system that never expected women to have capital, let alone move it. This is the story of how we got here and why the most powerful thing some of us will do is say: I’ll invest anyway.
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How History Locked Women Out of Investing
In Switzerland, women gained full federal voting rights in 1971. But the real story, the quieter, slower one was what happened after. Even into the 1980s, a married woman still needed her husband’s signature to open a bank account or accept a job.¹
She could earn. She just couldn’t fully own.
Across Europe and North America, similar restrictions shaped women’s economic reality. Not overt bans, but default exclusions. Not a slammed door, just a system that forgot we might want to walk through it.
From Cultural Bias to Financial Scripts
Even when the laws changed, the mindset didn’t.
“Let your husband manage the money.”
“Women aren’t risk-takers.”
“Stick to saving, it’s safer.”
This wasn’t advice. It was conditioning. And it stuck.
These were messages, repeated across decades, dressed up as responsibility but rooted in doubt. And they shaped how women saw money. Not as a tool for power or agency, but as something to tuck away, cautiously, quietly. Just in case.
Even as women moved into the workforce and started earning at scale, the industry didn’t shift to meet us.
Banks still modeled risk in a way that ignored caregiving. VCs still dismissed femtech as “niche.” Financial advisors still asked if we were sure we wanted to take that much risk.
What looked like individual caution was often the residue of systemic exclusion. And what gets framed as a gender investing gap is, in many cases, just women following the script they were handed.
The Gender Wealth Gap Is Structural
Here’s what the data shows:
Women hold 71% of their assets in cash, vs. 60% for men.²
Only 2% of global VC funding in 2023 went to all-women founding teams.³
Just 19% of Europe’s angel investors are women.⁴
The average woman retires with 30–40% less wealth than a man, even if she’s earned comparably.⁵ These aren’t individual choices. They are the outcome of structural exclusion.
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What Happens When Women Start Investing
But change is here. And it’s coming from the ground up. More women are stepping into the role of investor without waiting for permission.
They are asking sharper questions, seeking credible science, and choosing values-aligned ventures over hype.
Women aren’t just entering the investment space. They are redefining it.
Don’t Let History Decide What You Do With Your Capital
If it’s ever felt like investing wasn’t for you, you are not alone. That narrative was built long before you. But it doesn't have to define what you do next. Now is the time to unlearn, reframe, and rebuild on our own terms.
📣 Next Week...
I’ll be featuring a Swiss women’s health company doing credible, science-first work in a space long overlooked. One that isn’t trying to go viral but just trying to prove what works. Stay tuned.
👋 Ready to Learn How to Invest?
This September, I am opening a new cohort of the Investor Readiness Program; a 6-week, immersive course for women who want to confidently invest in health innovation.
No jargon. No hedge fund background required. Just the desire to understand how capital shapes change.
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Signal Not Noise | Jun 7 Edition
From lawsuits to product launches, this week’s headlines reveal more than noise. They signal how women’s health is being redefined as a serious market. Here’s what investors should really be watching.
Coming in Q3 2025:
🎧 Blindspot Capital: The Podcast
Formerly FemmeHealth Founders, our podcast relaunches this summer under a sharper lens and a bolder name. Blindspot Capital explores the undercurrents shaping health innovation from the deals that stall to the systems that silence. This season, we speak to the people shifting what gets seen, funded, and scaled.Confirmed guests include:
💥 Ida Tin (Clue, FemTech Assembly) on founding the femtech category
🧠 Lisa Suennen (venture partner & healthtech strategist) on how institutional capital moves.We are also in conversation with voices from maternal science to global policy stay tuned as the full season drops.
👉 Subscribe to Blindspot Capital wherever you get your podcasts, or listen directly on Substack.
I write weekly at FemmeHealth Ventures Alliance about capital, care, and the future of overlooked markets. If you are building, backing, or allocating in this space, I’d love to connect.
👉 ICYMI - Our Latest Publications
How to Start Angel Investing in Women’s Health with Just $1K
Why Women’s Health Is Still Underfunded and What Smart Investors Are Doing About it
The 1,000-Day Fix: Nina Kumari’s Case Against “Good Enough” Formula
References
Swiss Federal Statistical Office (1988 reforms)
UBS Women & Investing Report, 2022
PitchBook 2023 Global VC Funding Report
European Women in VC Benchmarking Report, 2023
OECD, Gender Pension Gap, 2021
Ways to Connect with FemmeHealth Ventures Alliance
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Disclaimer & Disclosure
This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, investment, legal, or medical advice, or an offer to buy or sell any securities. Opinions expressed are those of the author and may not reflect the views of affiliated organisations. Readers should seek professional advice tailored to their individual circumstances before making investment decisions. Investing involves risk, including potential loss of principal. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
