The EUniWell Alliance awards the University of Murcia a project on women, finance and well-being
The University of Murcia (UMU), through Professor of Economic History and Institutions Susana Martínez-Rodríguez, has been awarded one of the projects in the second call for proposals of the EUniWell Champions Scheme, an initiative of the European Partnership for Well-being (EUniWell), of which UMU is a member.
The project, entitled "Women, Money and Well-Being: Reclaiming Financial Agency Through History," is based on a central idea: to recover historical evidence on women's participation in finance in order to challenge simplistic explanations of their relationship with the economy and contribute to current debates on equality, economic autonomy, and financial well-being.
The research is based on the premise that women have historically played an active role as investors, creditors, entrepreneurs, and wealth managers, although this contribution has remained largely invisible. Recovering this legacy will allow us to offer a more complete view of economic history and revise some of the interpretations that still condition the social perception of women's financial capabilities.
According to the researcher, the absence of women in the historical narrative of finance has led to their lesser presence in certain economic spheres being interpreted as a lack of interest, knowledge, or ability. However, historical evidence shows that women's financial agency has its own trajectory that deserves to be recognized and valued.
The project will also address some of the stereotypes that continue to influence women's relationship with finance. Ideas such as "women save and men invest" or that important economic decisions are the responsibility of men continue to have consequences for who acquires financial education, who participates in family financial decisions, and who builds their own wealth. The initiative aims to provide scientific evidence that will help challenge these cultural models through research, teaching, and outreach.
Furthermore, the proposal will incorporate a historical perspective into one of the most common debates in financial economics: the potential differences between men and women when making investment decisions. The research will analyze how factors such as social context, educational opportunities, legal restrictions, and economic status have historically influenced women's participation in finance, moving beyond explanations based solely on supposed behavioral differences.
The program will run from September 2026 to July 2027 and will have funding of up to €15,000. During this period, international seminars, mobility activities, academic collaborations, and outreach activities will be organized at various universities within the EUniWell alliance and the EU Region of Murcia Office, in addition to the researcher's participation at the EUniWell Centre for Advanced Studies.
The expected outcomes include the development of teaching materials, a joint scientific publication, a document aimed at policymakers, and the design of new European collaborations focused on gender equality, financial education, and well-being.