All you do gooders and supporters of women, give us, men a break please! All that men will be left with is the ability to turn wine into blood, don't take that last vestige away; Soon we men will all be eunuchs:-
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/story.jsp?story=631906 Women to own bulk of wealth within 20 years By Maxine Frith, Social Affairs Correspondent 22 April 2005 They are better qualified, more independent, longer lived and likely to inherit more money. So, little wonder women are about to overtake men in claiming ownership of the lion's share of the nation's wealth. Within 20 years, the fairer sex will wrest the purse strings from men to own 60 per cent of Britain's wealth, according to new research. Although some men may already feel they have lost financial control in their household, a study by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) confirms that a fundamental shift in the balance of financial power between the genders is taking place. Women currently hold 48 per cent of Britain's wealth, but a new generation of fiscally sophisticated females now holds the purse strings. The research for the insurer Liverpool Victoria Friendly Society found that men are being left behind in educational qualifications and in their ability to handle their finances. More than four out of 10 girls leave school with at least two A-levels, compared with a third of boys. Two-thirds of women aged 20 to 24 live away from their parents, compared with 44 per cent of men. Women are also more likely to take up occupational pensions than men, although they are less likely to have a stakeholder pension. The rise in female wealth is highlighted by figures showing that there are now 24 per cent more women millionaires aged between 18 and 44 than there are men with six-figure assets. A spokeswoman for Liverpool Victoria said: "Social patterns [will] undergo a fundamental change in the next 20 years, with women becoming much stronger financially than men. "Our research shows ... young women are much more independent than men their age. Young, single women are more likely to buy their own home earlier, pay into an occupational pension and have savings. "More and more woman are rising up the career ladder, as well as starting their own businesses, and that is causing this change in the balance of financial power." But women are less likely to take out mortgage protection, employment protection or have private medical insurance. Julie Mellor, chief executive of the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC), said: "To make sure the predictions in [the] survey come true, government and employers need to redesign the workplace for modern families ... being more open to requests from men and women to work flexibly." The most recent Sunday Times Rich List included a record number of women, with 81 female entries. However, the highest-ranking woman is on the list courtesy of her husband. The retail giant Philip Green has registered many of his businesses, such as BHS and the Arcadia group, in his wife Christina's name. Despite the shift in the wealth balance, women still earn less than men on average. According to figures from the EOC, women earn 18 per cent less an hour than men, and the pay gap rises to 40 per cent for part-time workers. 'The glass ceiling does not exist any longer' Case Study Pippa Thompson, 33 Pippa Thompson, 33, originally from Guildford, Surrey, is a trainee solicitor at a big London law firm. After graduating with a degree in geography from Cambridge University, she spent five years working in PR before joining the legal practice Allen & Overy as a trainee. As she is still a trainee, she currently earns £33,000 a year, but she says that within a few years this is likely to rise to "more than £100,000". She says: "It's impossible to know where my career will lead, but I feel that I'm in a profession where I can move up the ladder - I don't think that the glass ceiling is there any more, and I think I've got the potential to be in management. "I think my attitude to financial planning is much the same as that of my male colleagues. If your company runs a pension scheme, you'd be a fool not to take part. I also had my own personal pension before coming here. I think it's fundamental that you have to think about tomorrow as much as today." As well as her pension, Pippa saves into an ISA, and has bought her own home in south London. She said: "I had my first house for two years, in which time the value increased by more than £100,000. I paid £230,000 for my current flat. I can't see myself moving again in London, and if I do move away, I want to keep the flat as a pension. "I think this research is quite extraordinary. I think it could help in motivating girls, getting them to think they could play a part in the commercial life of the country." -- Cheers, Gabe Menezes. London, England
