We’ve worked with researchers at Brunel University who have analysed over 600 photographs used for articles about money and finance, We found that men and women were depicted very differently. Men were shown as being in control and making financial decisions, whilst women were shown clutching piggy banks and counting pennies. We’ve teamed up with Lensi Photography to create a new library of 100 photographs that better represents women and money. They’re free to download.
MAKE MONEY EQUAL
We’ve been campaigning to #MakeMoneyEqual. We started by showing how women and men are spoken to differently about money. Now we’re campaigning to make sure women are better represented in images used by media and advertisers.
The initial research
When we started our #MakeMoneyEqual campaign in 2018 our aim was to remove negative gender stereotypes from public conversation around money and personal finances. So we commissioned a linguistics study from semiotics and cultural value agency The Answer, which assessed 300 articles from a mix of outlets aimed at men and women. Using discourse analysis, they found that the media split women and men by language when discussing money. 65% of articles defined women as excessive spenders and 70% of articles aimed at men defined making money as a masculine ideal.
The stats
From our assessment of 300 articles from a mix of outlets aimed at men and women, we found out that:
Our Manifesto to Make Money Equal
- Financial inequality doesn’t end at the wage gap.
- It’s also present in the way the media visualises men and women in relation to money.
- Legislation is important – but so is representation. The media shows women as if they are splurgers and men as if they’re financiers.
- Men are shown as being in control and making financial decisions. Women with piggy banks, counting up their spending money.
- We’re being separated into spenders and earners. The frivolous and the empowered.
- Something has to change.
Money is an issue for a lot of people – but women encounter far more systemic obstacles when it comes to their finances. Gender inequality reaches far beyond low salaries and boardroom tokenism; it starts with the way we’re taught. It starts with the way we’re spoken to.”
@AnneBoden CEO & Founder
A booklet about Making Money Equal
We decided to pair up with writer and comedian Anne T. Donahue in 2020 to create a booklet that highlights the gender gap in the way men and women are spoken to about money.
With some wonderful illustrations from Erin Aniker, here is the Make Money Equal booklet.
Let’s talk about money in the same way to everyone.
Usage terms:
- Starling Bank and Lensi Photography must be credited whenever the images are used
- The license is non-exclusive, Starling Bank and Lensi Photography reserve the right to further develop the imagery in future
- All imagery is available for free to download and use by the public, media and advertisers
- The imagery is not to be used anywhere that may cause offence
- Starling Bank and Lensi Photography reserve the right for imagery to be removed from use at the discretion of either company
- Please note images including model 3 (grey hair) and model 8 (yellow shirt) are only licensed for free use until May 2023
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