Episode 34
Why Women Fear Retirement, Pay the Price of Motherhood, and Get Punished for Debt
Join us for Episode 34 of Feminist Money as we discuss:
1. Feature: According to a recent study by a financial institution, women are worried about retirement due to a retirement confidence gap and a long-running financial literacy gap. We explain why blaming women for a lack of financial literacy may not be the best strategy to address the gender retirement gap for all women.
2. Research: The hidden costs that mothers take on, as research finds that motherhood changes how women prioritise money and manage their finances.
3. Campaign: Canada’s development of an economic abuse strategy and why its voluntary nature might be holding it back.
4. International: Women are being jailed in Egypt for the crime of going into debt due to unscrupulous creditors, and the work being undertaken to change it.
5. Pop Culture: As Reese Witherspoon issues a warning about celebrity impersonation scams, we look at these scams and how to protect yourself from them.
episode description
episode show notes
(1.37) The study linking the gender retirement gap to a confidence and financial literacy gap
Why women feel less ready for retirement, Money Magazine, 16 January 2026
Gendered financial literacy gap impacting women’s retirement, Independent Financial Advisor, 16 January 2026
(6.08) Research finds that motherhood can change how women manage money
Motherhood changes how women spend, save and think about money, The Conversation, 24 November 2025
The ‘motherhood penalty’: An accountant (and mother) explains the hidden costs of parenting, The Globe and Mail, 13 January 2026
(10.58) Canada’s national economic abuse strategy
Canada’s new code to prevent economic abuse lacks teeth, Policy Options, 14 January 2026
Combatting financial fraud, protecting Canadians against scams and abuse, Department of Finance Canada, 20 October 2025
(14.16) The Egyptian women sent to prison for debts
Egypt, from debt to prison: Women in financial difficulty face double penalty, France 24, 9 January 2026
In prison for debt, thousands of women are the ‘double victims’ of poverty in Egypt, Equal Times, 8 March 2025
(17.21) Reese Witherspoon warns of celebrity impersonation scams
Reese Witherspoon speaks out against scammers: 'I would never reach out to you for money', Independent Online (IOL), 16 January 2026
Impersonation scams, Scam Watch, accessed January 2026