Policy paper

Women in Finance Charter

The 'Women in Finance Charter' asks financial services firms to commit to implement four key industry actions.

From:
HM Treasury and Baroness Penn
Published
22 March 2016
Last updated
21 March 2024 — See all updates
This was published under the 2015 to 2016 Cameron Conservative government

Documents

Women in Finance Charter

PDF, 188 KB, 1 page

Women in Finance Charter list of signatories (February 2024)

PDF, 470 KB, 16 pages

Women in Finance Charter guidance

PDF, 111 KB, 5 pages

Details

In 2015, the Government asked Dame Jayne-Anne Gadhia, former CEO of Virgin Money, to lead a review into the representation of women in senior managerial roles in financial services, focusing on the talent pipeline at the executive population below board level.

“Empowering Productivity: Harnessing the talents of women in financial services” was published in March 2016. The review found that in 2015, women made up only 14% of Executive Committees in the Financial Services sector. In response to the recommendations in that review, HM Treasury launched the Women in Finance Charter.

There are now over 400 firms, covering 1.3 million employees, voluntarily signed up to the commitments of the Charter – from global banks to credit unions, the largest insurance companies to the smallest fintech start-ups – with headquarters in the UK, USA, Europe and Asia.

HM Treasury welcomes interest in the Charter from all firms of any type and size, and firms can still sign the Women in Finance Charter to join our next cohort of signatories. See our guidance or send us an email womeninfinance@hmtreasury.gov.uk for more information on the Charter. To sign the Charter and formally commit to implement these recommendations, please visit the website) and complete the online form.

For analysis by our data partner, New Financial, on the progress made by current signatories, please view the New Financial analysis: Women in Finance page on gov.uk.

The independent Women in Finance Charter Board comprises representatives from financial services firms which are signatories to the Charter. It enables, through signatory engagement, the sharing of best practice to achieve the Charter commitments. If you would like to contact the Board, either as a Charter signatory, or as an organisation considering signing the Charter, please email womeninfinancecharterindustryboard@santander.co.uk.

In March 2016, HM Treasury signed up to the Charter. Since then, we have increased our female representation in senior management from 43% to 50% (as of March 2023). Please visit HM Treasury’s Progress Update 2023 on gov.uk to read more about HM Treasury’s own progress as a signatory.

Updates to this page

Published 22 March 2016
Last updated 21 March 2024 + show all updates

  1. Updated the ‘Women in Finance Charter guidance’ document. Archived the ‘HM Treasury’s Women in Finance Charter commitment’ document.

  2. Women in Finance Charter list of signatories updated for February 2024

  3. Updates to HMT Women in Finance Charter list of signatories document and Women in Finance Charter guidance document

  4. Updated details to sign Charter, guidance and List of Signatories updated for March 2023

  5. New review added, and List of Signatories + Guidance updated for June 2022

  6. Updated the list of signatories document.

  7. Updated guidance and signatory list.

  8. Updated the 'HM Treasury's Women in Finance commitment' document

  9. Updated Women in Finance Charter list of signatories Updated Women in Finance Charter guidance

  10. Updated with 'Women in Finance Charter list of signatories (March 2019)'.

  11. Updated list of signatories attached.

  12. Updated with list of signatories for November 2018.

  13. Updated Charter guidance attached.

  14. Updated with a new google form for applications, and New Financial reports moved to a separate page, entitled 'New Financial analysis: Women in Finance'.

  15. Updated and revised version of 'Women in Finance Charter guidance'.

  16. Updated with "Women in Finance Charter list of signatories (August 2018)".

  17. Updated with 'Women in Finance Charter List of Signatories July 2018'.

  18. Updated Women in Finance Charter list of signatories (March 2018)

  19. Updated wording in details section.

  20. Updated links in the 'Women in Finance Charter (March 2018)' document.

  21. Updated New Financial: Women in Finance Annual Review (March 2018) document to correct formatting issue.

  22. Updated with latest signatories and Women in Finance Charter Annual Review.

  23. Updated list of signatories and links to gender diversity targets.

  24. Updated with HM Treasury’s Women in Finance Charter commitment

  25. Updated charter guidance

  26. Updated with latest signatories.

  27. Updated with Women in Finance Charter list of signatories (October 2017)

  28. Correction to July 2017 list of signatories.

  29. Updated with latest list of 141 signatories as announced on 9 July 2017.

  30. Updated to reflect that 122 firms across the financial services sector have now signed the Women in Finance Charter.

  31. Diversity targets of latest Charter signatories added.

  32. Updated with 'New Financial analysis of Charter signatory data'

  33. Updated with latest list of 93 charter signatories

  34. Updated PDF with links to signatories gender diversity targets

  35. Updated PDF - signatory firms and their gender targets

  36. List of signatories and links to their gender diversity targets uploaded.

  37. Women in Finance Charter guidance added.

  38. Updated quotes

  39. Updated with list of 72 Charter signatories

  40. Link to https://www.womeninfinance.org.uk added

  41. Link added to 'sign-up' to the charter.

  42. First published.

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