On 26 May 1951, Sally Ride was born in California. Just three decades later, in 1983, she became the first American woman in space, joining the crew of the Space Shuttle Challenger.
Her achievement was remarkable in its own right. Yet, it was also significant because she broke through a barrier in a field that men had long dominated.
While investing is, of course, very different from space exploration, a similar issue still exists.
Despite women becoming increasingly financially independent, there remains a significant gap between the number of men and women investing their wealth.
Indeed, Boring Money reports, in 2025, there were 6.7 million female investors in the UK compared to 10 million male investors – a 3.3 million gap.
While things are moving in the right direction, many women may still be missing out on opportunities to grow their wealth over the long term.
Just as Sally Ride challenged expectations in her field, you can also take practical steps to overcome some of the barriers that might be holding you back from investing.
So, continue reading to learn why the gender investment gap still exists and discover five ways you could start bridging it.
The gender investment gap is often caused by confidence, risk concerns, and life circumstances
The gender investment gap essentially refers to the difference between how men and women engage with investing.
A single issue doesn’t usually cause it, but rather several factors.
For instance, the gender pay gap can mean women have less surplus income available to invest in the first place.
Career breaks for children or other care responsibilities can also affect earnings, pension contributions, and long-term savings.
And some women might feel as though they lack the confidence to invest as they don’t know enough. Others may worry about making the wrong decision or taking on too much risk.
This is understandable, as investing always involves risk, and the value of your investments can rise as well as fall.
Still, holding too much of your wealth in cash could mean that inflation reduces the purchasing power of your savings, so your money may not stretch as far in the future.
Interestingly, women often display qualities that can make them strong long-term investors.
A study from the Warwick Business School found that female investors outperformed their male counterparts by 1.8% over a three-year period while investing in the FTSE 100. This was partly because women traded less frequently and tended to take a longer-term approach.
As such, confidence, access, and support are often the issues, rather than ability.
So, here are five practical ways you can start overcoming these barriers.
1. Start by setting clear goals
A helpful first step is to start thinking about what you want your money to achieve over the long term.
For example, you may want to build wealth for retirement, support your children or grandchildren, or become more financially independent.
These goals will ultimately influence the way you invest. Indeed, money you might need for short-term goals in the next two or three years might be better held in cash.
Meanwhile, wealth for long-term goals might have more time to ride out periods of short-term volatility.
Starting by identifying your goals, rather than focusing on markets or performance, could make investing feel more manageable.
2. Take a more active role in financial decisions
In some households, one person might naturally take the lead on money matters over time. This doesn’t necessarily mean anything has gone wrong, as it can happen for several reasons.
However, if you aren’t regularly involved in conversations about investing or long-term planning, it can become more challenging to feel confident making decisions yourself.
This is especially important if your circumstances change later in life, perhaps due to divorce, bereavement, or a change in income.
To take a more active role, you might want to attend more financial planning meetings, ask plenty of questions, and understand where your wealth is held.
Over time, this could help you build confidence and ensure that your financial plan reflects your individual priorities.
3. Avoid holding too much wealth in cash for long-term goals
While cash savings do have their place for emergencies or short-term spending, holding too much for your long-term goals could limit your ability to grow your wealth.
This is because inflation can reduce the real-term value of your cash.
Say, for example, your savings earn 2% interest, but inflation is 4%. While the balance of your savings might still rise, your money would buy less in real terms.
According to the Bank of England inflation calculator, £10,000 in 2000 would have an equivalent cost of £19,364 in March 2026, meaning your wealth would have needed to outpace this to retain its purchasing power.
Meanwhile, MoneyWeek reports that the FTSE All-Share Index managed to beat inflation in every 20-year rolling period between January 1988 and August 2025, while cash failed to do so in a quarter of cases.
Of course, it’s vital to note that investing always carries risk, and the value of your investments can rise as well as fall.
Still, it’s worth separating your short-term cash needs from your long-term goals, potentially helping your wealth work harder over time.
4. Invest little and often
You don’t necessarily need a large lump sum to start investing. Even small, regular contributions could help you build your wealth over time.
This approach can be particularly helpful if investing feels intimidating, as it might remove some of the pressures of deciding when to invest.
Rather than choosing the “right” moment, you can invest consistently, a strategy often known as “pound-cost averaging”.
When markets are lower, your contributions might buy more shares. When they’re higher, you can buy fewer.
Over time, this might smooth out some of the effects of short-term market movements.
Investing little and often could even help you build strong habits. Then, as your confidence grows, you might feel more comfortable engaging with your investments.
5. Speak to a financial planner
A financial planner could help you understand your long-term goals and build an investment strategy that reflects your circumstances. This is valuable if you’re unsure where to start.
We’ll give you the space needed to ask questions and talk through concerns. We can even clearly explain your options and break down the risk levels appropriate for your unique needs.
Ultimately, we can ensure you feel confident enough to engage with investing and break through preconceived barriers, just as Sally Ride did during her journey to space.
To find out more, please contact us by email at info@investmentsense.co.uk or call 0115 933 8433.
Please note
This article is for general information only and does not constitute advice. The information is aimed at individuals only.
All information is correct at the time of writing and is subject to change in the future.
The value of your investments (and any income from them) can go down as well as up and you may not get back the full amount you invested. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.
Investments should be considered over the longer term and should fit in with your overall attitude to risk and financial circumstances.
