Investment behavior of female graduates in Bangladesh: Do demographic factors matter across investment forms?

Abstract

This study explores how female investors make investment decisions across different forms of investment based on academic discipline, income level, sole earning status, and investment decision making criteria. Adopting convenience sampling, primary data were gathered through a structured questionnaire, and responses from 230 educated, earning females in Bangladesh were analysed. Alongside descriptive statistics, the study performed crosstabulation analysis using Pearson chi square test and Cramer's V, with IBM SPSS version 27 and Microsoft Excel, to examine associations between variables. The findings reveal that irrespective of academic discipline and sole earning status, female investors are largely dependent on others when making investment decisions. Despite variation in academic discipline, income level, and decision making criteria, female investors tend to select a combination of assets other than equity as their first investment choice. Sole earners prioritise less risky banking products, while non sole earners choose a broader combination of assets. Female investors identify risk of loss, knowledge gaps, market volatility, time constraints, negative experiences of others, low confidence, impatience, the absence of established female peer networks, limited disposable income, lower expected returns, lack of trusted personnel, the influence of others, and a male dominated market as key reasons for not prioritising equity investment. The study offers insights for regulators, policymakers, and educational institutions to consider in designing appropriate training and awareness programs aimed at improving female investor participation.