I'm honored to be here with you and my distinguished colleagues to participate in this very important and timely forum. Women today have unprecedented opportunities to participate and succeed in an exciting, rapidly changing global marketplace. In the fields of finance, manufacturing, education, health care, technology, and in the nonprofit arena, which I represent, women are opening new doors and breaking down old barriers.
Obstacles surely remain, but the signs of progress are unmistakable.
Minority women, in particular, are taking charge of their own financial futures in ways that were unheard of a generation ago. We wanted to find out the level of awareness, control, and confidence women had in making major financial decisions for themselves and their families. The results were surprising and encouraging. I'd like to share them with you today. Overall, our survey found that women have higher levels of financial independence and control in key financial areas such as buying a home, making large expenditures, getting a loan, and investing for retirement.