Session: Gender and Financially Vulnerable Families in the Global Context (Society for Social Work and Research 29th Annual Conference)

In recent years, there has been growing recognition of the complex relationship between gender disparities/dynamics and financial vulnerability within families and households. This symposium aims to view the complexities surrounding this intersectional issue, shedding light on it in diverse global contexts. Gender disparities shape individuals' and families' financial experiences, affecting their ability to accumulate assets and achieve financial stability. Gender norms and structures intersect with socioeconomic factors to shape individuals' and families' financial well-being. In general, women often face greater barriers to accessing financial resources, managing household finances, and building long-term assets. These barriers stem from various factors, including unequal access to education and employment opportunities, discriminatory financial systems, and entrenched social norms regarding gender roles and financial decision-making. In the context of social work, these factors can be approached through the means to address systemic inequalities and empower individuals and communities. The potential of social impact is created in innovative methods to asset accumulation and wealth creation that account for gender dynamics and promote economic empowerment within families, as well as in policy initiatives, in various financial education and empowerment programs in addressing gender disparities and enhancing financial resilience among vulnerable populations. This symposium will present a multilayered exploration of the ways in which gender and family dynamics are connected to financial vulnerability and families' efforts towards financial capability and asset building. It will introduce empirical research and practical interventions from scholars and studies across different continents. The symposium will thus provide a survey of ways to strengthen social impact through social work knowledge across geographical boundaries. The first study assesses financial health and gender differences, using nationally representative household data from China. According to the outcomes, female-headed households have a better balance of income and expenditure than male-headed households. The findings, contrary to dominant beliefs, reveal that women may possess more effective financial management skills than man in handling daily expenses and savings. The second paper introduces evidence from a community-based intervention in central Mozambique. Participation in the informal intervention group strengthened women's efficiency and is viewed to help address the gender inequalities in increasing access to credit and asset building. The third paper presents a qualitative study conducted in Finland exploring social acceptability of the financial social work intervention. Social acceptability reflects in how others' (in one's family) attitude impacted acceptance of the intervention. In a group of families, where a genuine need for the intervention exists, the spouses disagree regarding whether to participate. The findings lead to consider how the intervention could take into account families with conflicting motivations and commitments and to discuss the gender role in social acceptability. To conclude, these three studies foster dialogue and knowledge exchange from the global context and this symposium seeks to advance social work understanding of the complex interplay between gender, financial vulnerability, and efforts towards financial well-being in the families.