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by Lindsey Patterson, Account Executive, Forefront Communications

At last month’s Washington DC Spring Update, STA hosted a prestigious group of legislators, regulators and business leaders for a series of discussions on the most pressing issues facing the securities industry. Among the speakers was Congresswoman Ann Wagner, who has served the second congressional district of Missouri since January 2013.

Wagner serves as vice-ranking member on the House Financial Services Committee, the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Subcommittee on Diversity and Inclusion. At STA’s event, Rep. Wagner discussed some of the key issues impacting women in financial services, including recruiting and retention, licensing and continued education, parental leave, and how the industry can be more family-friendly to empower women to thrive in their careers.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, women left their jobs at a rate of four times that of men. When a woman leaves the workforce to care for her family or a family member, her earning capacity is not only diminished at present, but when she does return to the workforce, she tends to make less than her male peers who have advanced and grown their earning capacity during the same period of time.”

In addition to diversity and inclusion issues, Wagner also discussed her work on the House Financial Services Committee, where she has been an advocate of the power of choice as a means for investors to protect themselves.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, women left their jobs at a rate of four times that of men. When a woman leaves the workforce to care for her family or a family member, her earning capacity is not only diminished at present, but when she does return to the workforce, she tends to make less than her male peers….”

“What we learned a year ago during the GameStop saga is that investors have more choices when it comes to where and how they invest their money than ever before, and that is due to free-market competition and the advancements in technology that level the playing field for retail investors,” said Wagner. “Our committee needs to remain focused on increased retail participation, something that has been a drumbeat of mine throughout the last 10 years, removing regulatory barriers that hinder American’s access to the capital markets, and allowing innovation to flourish through advances in evolving and dynamic technologies.”

Wagner also discussed:

• The importance of supporting women in STEM
• Girls Who Invest, a nonprofit that provides training and education for women in finance
• Her recent visit to Europe and the crisis in Ukraine

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