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New campaign and petition takes a stand for young women

For the month of October, as BMO celebrates International Day of the Girl (October 11) and works to foster a society with zero barriers to inclusion, a new campaign is shining a light on social conditioning and gender-based stereotypes in language that have negative connotations for women.

BMO is encouraging consumers to take action through a change.org petition aiming to redefine gendered language that undermines women’s financial confidence and independence. The petition calls on dictionaries to remove gender from definitions of words like “gold digger” and “shopaholic”, making them inclusive of both men and women. They are just some of the most stark examples of gendered language that impact the way girls think about and relate to money. The petition seeks to draw attention to the way language affects confidence, and is an opportunity for the bank to take a stand against and invite others to join in.

“While there has been steady progress in gender equality in recent years, there is still more we can do to unravel the social conditioning that can erode a woman’s confidence, potential, and trajectory for success,” said Catherine Roche, Chief Marketing Officer and Head, Social Impact, BMO Financial Group. “By focusing on social and economic empowerment, we can begin to eradicate pervasive and subtle societal messages that can impede a woman’s ability to make real financial progress.”

Also this month, BMO is evolving its “Jane’s Story” campaign, which illustrates stereotypes hindering financial independence. Originally piloted for International Woman’s Day in March 2020, the series of vignettes are told through the perspective of a woman named Jane and depict various scenarios that diminish her financial confidence, ultimately sabotaging her financial future.

Watch the videos: “Shopaholic,” “GoldDigger,” and “Jane’s Story.” To learn more about the campaign, visit the BMO for Women site.

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