ABSTRACT
This chapter traces how finance became a “world of men” through specific historical processes while revealing the complex entanglements of gender, race and class. Contrary to common assumptions, women were historically active in early colonial financial activities before their systematic exclusion through 18th-century patriarchal restructuring. The analysis examines how Swiss banking developed masculine institutional cultures tied to military service and paternalistic leadership, evolving from Fordist care-oriented management to neoliberal ruthless competition. Recent decades show both persistence of male dominance and emerging challenges through diversity initiatives and changing masculinity norms.
