Power, Money, + Sexism - A personal tale and feminist action point

Today I received an enewsletter from ING (I have an account there) of which the first headline reads “Is that a bank branch in your pocket or...?”--the rest of the phrase as we all know, is, “or are you happy to see me?”  

This really stuck out to me – a sexual innuendo that places men on the top of a sexist power dynamic should not be a ‘cute’ headline from a financial institution, yet sexism is so embedded in our culture that this headline could seem harmless, attention-grabbing, or funny.

I wrote an email to DailyWorth (a great blog with financial tips and resources aimed at women) to see if we could harness reader power in the form of letter or petition: I want to let ING know that sexist old boys’ humor and modern money management don’t go together.  I'll let you know if I hear from DailyWorth, and in the meantime, feel free to write your own letter or make some calls!

I’m a big fan of ING and the services and information offered me as a patron, and I often recommend the company to my friends—seems it’s time to remind them that women are among their smartest and most independent, loyal customers too (and that their most lucrative male customers will be thinking with their brains, not their...er, pocket bank branches).

 Whad'ya say, activists?!

The (Female) Cost of Living

via dailyworth.com

It sounds almost silly: A survey of drug store goods, in the January issue of Consumer Reports, found that items aimed at women tend to cost more—sometimes 50% or 60% more.
What's disturbing is how pervasive and financially poisonous the so-called gender price bias is—especially when you consider that, on average, women earn about 23% less than men with comparable credentials...
Read more at http://www.dailyworth.com/blog/312-the-female-cost-of-living#

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