Changing attitudes shape Irish women’s approach to money

Women in Ireland now have a wide range of financial products and digital services to choose from, but cultural attitudes still influence how they manage money.

Traditional brick‑and‑mortar providers such as banks, credit unions and the Post Office offer current accounts, credit cards, savings, loans, foreign exchange, mortgages and more. Newer neo‑banks like Revolut and Monzo operate via apps, while services such as PayPal, Zippay and Splitwise simplify online payments and bill‑splitting. “Buy now, pay later” options including Klarna and Humm also expand purchasing choices.

Historically, Irish women faced legal and cultural barriers to financial independence. Until the 1970s, women in the public service had to leave their jobs upon marriage, could not sit on juries without property, and were excluded from the children’s allowance, which was paid only to fathers. Reforms such as the removal of the marriage bar in 1973, the 1974 Social Welfare Act, the Family Home Protection Act of 1976 and the Employment Equality Act of 1977 began to remove these obstacles.

Current challenges

Fiona Haughey, director of financial planning at Davy, says women are often left out of money conversations due to social conditioning. She notes that only 43 % of female Leaving Cert students studied a STEM subject beyond biology in 2025, compared with 70.3 % of males. Within households, women typically handle day‑to‑day budgeting, while longer‑term investing may be delegated to a partner, limiting confidence and experience.

Haughey observes that women tend to be motivated by financial security, leading to strong savings habits but lower appetite for riskier assets such as stocks, ETFs, cryptocurrencies or NFTs. This focus can result in holding excess cash rather than building long‑term investment portfolios.

Source: Irish Examiner. Photo: RDNE Stock project / Pexels.