Solape Akinpelu’s stripped to help women build sustainable wealth

In line with global initiatives from organisations such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank, among others, the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of HerVest, Solape Akinpelu, has authored a book dedicated to providing learning opportunities and sustainable initiatives to help women build wealth that transcends generations.

Titled, Stripped: An African Woman’s Guide to Building Generational Wealth, the book is an evidence-based body of work with practical and actionable steps for African women towards bridging the economic gender gap and building trans-generational wealth across the globe.

According to IMF data, in sub-Saharan Africa, only 37 per cent of women have a bank account, compared with 48 per cent of men. The figures are even worse in North Africa, where about two- thirds of the adult population remains unbanked and the gender gap for access to finance is 18 per cent, the largest in the world.

To bridge the widening gender gap, there is a need for sustainable solutions that help in achieving the desired impact across sectors. To this end, ‘Stripped’ serves to answer the burning questions and allay the commonest fears that most African women have when it comes to managing their money and building wealth.

Speaking during the launch of the book, Akinpelu said: “In Africa, the gender gap in access to financial services is driven by women entrepreneurs’ self-perception. Such perception leaves many African women on the fringes of the financial sector —unable to save, borrow or build capital.

“The book was written to inspire African women to move past their barriers and create wealth, to make a positive impact in their societies and the world at large that will transcend generations to come.”
She stated that the issues hindering gender finance are hyper-connected, adding: “You simply cannot talk about gender issues without addressing the gap in tech, healthcare, maternal care, unpaid care, gender-based violence, women in the workplace and more. The economic gender gap we see today estimated at $42 billion is the symptom of all these connected issues.”

In her remarks, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of FSDH Merchant Bank, Bukola Smith, said: “This book is a confidence booster for those who feel they know little about savings and investment. You are in for a journey of self-discovery and hopefully, self-actualisation.

As we strive for more representation for women in Africa’s social and economic infrastructure, it is also essential we teach women and the next generation of female entrepreneurs, not just how to make money but how to build wealth.”