Mastering finances as a superpower: by Dr. Mara Harvey
Last January 22nd at the Kellertheater in Vaduz, Mara Harvey presented, and a panel discussion with experts Johanna Heeb and Philine Berninger (moderated by Corina Vogt-Beck) examined how they can actively shape their financial future and how strength and knowledge lead to greater financial freedom. Financial inequality, however, is not simply an individual failing, but has structural causes, the experts agree. And they are also firmly convinced that every woman can do something – the sooner, the better.
What all these women have in common is the desire to demystify finances: away from complicated jargon and towards understandable conversations on equal footing. They advocate for honesty with oneself, transparency in everyday life, and not making perfection a prerequisite for financial decisions, because mistakes are allowed, and learning is a process.
Question: Dr. Harvey, how large is the wealth gap that results from wage differences over a lifetime?
Inequality begins as early as childhood, for example, with pocket money. It’s clear: Financial education must start early, and money must be destigmatized. I speak openly about financial trauma, about shame and fear – and about how important it is to consciously confront these issues. “Mastering one’s own finances must be every woman’s superpower.”
According to Corina Vogt-Beck
“Gender equality has already been achieved,”
One hears now and then – this is evidenced, among other things, by the prevailing compatibility of family and career. It’s not quite that simple. Achieving this balance demands a lot. In both professional and family life, one is constantly chasing the next to-do: care work, organizing daily life and family appointments, the thousand little things that also need to be done. These activities have two things in common: they are unpaid and are largely done by women. This flip side of the work-life balance coin directly means that women are often financially worse off than men.
Philine Berninger is a doctoral candidate in finance at the University of Liechtenstein.
For her, the path to financial self-reliance began in her childhood home: Conscious consumption, earning her own money – these were not restrictions, but rather a matter of course. Today, she sees financial literacy as part of overall societal equality: “Only when people have their finances under their own control can true equality emerge. “Transparency, fair models, and clearly defined goals are crucial so that women in partnerships don’t just “go with the flow,” but take responsibility for their own finances.
Johanna Heeb, founder of Dorata Finance AG and board member of the AHVIV-FAK institutions
For her, financial independence is key to managing life situations independently. Financial education is essential to achieve this. Her tip: Seek support to get started and begin with small steps. It is important to overcome one’s fear, because: “Financial topics are not that difficult. With a little basic knowledge, one can take action oneself.”
