To kick off Financial Literacy Month, Secret Deodorant is launching a new financial empowerment initiative, aiming to provide 1 million young women with educational resources — including courses, apps and books – created by highly renowned female financial experts.

Did you know that Gen Z adults report the highest level of stress compared to any other generation?¹ And the biggest cause of stress is money. Financial stress disproportionately impacts women, particularly women of color. Black and Hispanic women generally have higher unmet financial needs, more student loan debt, and are more likely to struggle financially while in school.² In fact, this disparity begins to take a toll on a young woman’s financial journey as early as adolescence.

As a longtime champion of women equality and advancement, Secret partnered with Seneca Women, a global leadership platform dedicated to amplifying women’s voices, to host a live, on-stage conversation at the New York Stock Exchange with an alliance of financial experts. To empower young women to take control of their financial wellness, experts offered practical, tangible advice geared to the needs and concerns of Gen Z women.

Financial experts partnering with Secret on this initiative include:

• Carmen Perez, creator of MUCH budgeting app, helping individuals manage their money and paychecks.
• Marsha Barnes, CEO and founder of The Finance Bar, helping individuals start their journey to financial wellness.
• Berna Anat, Financial Educator & Hypewoman, helping BIPOC and first-gen folks feel seen in the money world.
• Jamila Souffrant, founder of Journey to Launch, helping individuals launch into financial freedom.
• Giovanna Gonzalez, founder of The First Gen Mentor, helping first-generation students and young professionals of color entering the workplace to confidently manage their money.

For the past 60 years, Secret has been at the forefront of women’s lives — giving them the confidence they need to take on any challenge. Financial wellness, a fundamental enabler to women’s equality and advancement, is key to helping them achieve that confidence,” said Freddy Bharucha, Senior Vice President, North America & Global Personal Care, Procter & Gamble. “We are creating a bank of resources — from expert coaches and formal class offerings to education and awareness — our new financial empowerment programming offers a multi-faceted approach to reach young women where they are and support them on their journeys to financial wellness.

Secret’s initiative will roll out in multiple phases to further reach young women, with the first already underway on social media through #SecretMoneyMoves. Join the social conversation today to watch a series of financial literacy social content that tackles the ins and outs of relevant financial matters, including:

• How to create a budget
• Paying off debt
• Negotiating your first salary
• Understanding your credit score 
  

I understand how imperative it is to be well-versed in the world of finances. From understanding how to get your first credit card, student loans, to how to apply for a mortgage and dealing with debt, it’s a lot to take in,” said Marsha Barnes, personal finance expert and founder of The Finance Bar. “Through financial therapy and education, I can support women throughout their experiences and partnering with Secret will give me the opportunity to extend a helping hand to more women in need. I look forward to making a meaningful impact in young women’s lives as they embark on their personal journeys to achieve financial wellness.

Secret has also joined forces with Prosperity Now, the nation’s leading racial economic justice organization, to extend educational resources to young women in need. The organization’s mission is to drive economic opportunity for all and build equitable economic power by creating impactful systemic change by centering those who have been historically excluded, amplifying community-rooted solutions, and energizing them through research, advocacy, policy and narrative change.

Click here to learn more about Secret’s new financial empowerment programming.

¹American Psychological Association: Stress In America: Generation Z, October 2018. 
²Brookings: Student loans, the racial wealth divide, and why we need full student loan debt cancellation, June 2021. 

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