Why should women be less financially literate than men? : a critical review of the literature and some surprising conclusions

This paper starts with an attempt at defining financial literacy in relation to debates that have taken place around information literacy. It then looks critically at some empirical research on gender differences in financial literacy, both regarding the concepts investigated and regarding the findings on gender differences. The paper then takes a closer look at one area where demands for increased efforts in financial literacy education specifically addressed to women have been raised, namely the context of superannuation, the main component of the Australian system for retirement savings. The paper then turns around and asks the provocative question: What if women were as financially literate as men