Does gender count when it comes to matters of money? What problems do women have financially that men don't?

Kelley Keehn, author of The Woman's Guide to Money, reports, "if we think about it, men have been handling money for thousands of years. As for women, it's only been the last half of the last century.

More accurately, it's only been the last few decades that it's been socially acceptable for women to handle their own money and possibly the household finances."

Dave Lewars, Michael Schneider, Delphine Wilcox, and Cheryl Anderson, investment advisors with Investors Group, focus their financial planning practices on the unique needs of Ontario women. The four-member team is hosting a Financial Empowerment evening for women, tonight June 1st, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., at the Hockley Highlands Inn and Conference Centre. The workshop is free of charge.

How are women doing with their relatively new role? In her book, Ms. Keehn says women are eager and ready to learn about and improve their financial situation; that's why she wrote it specifically for women.

The female investor also hasn't developed an ego about what she should or shouldn't know financially, and therefore is more likely to seek out advice and answers.

In the book, Ms. Keehn asks readers to imagine a life of financial freedom. "For many women, thinking about their finances causes stress and anxiety. Often times, the thought of money can evoke feelings of sacrifice and guilt. Many women find themselves trapped by cultural and social conditioning that includes a negative view of money."

Ms. Keehn teaches readers to rethink the way they look at money. Women can learn to overcome the barriers that prevent them from pursuing their own prosperity. Many women have a preprogrammed sense of guilt when it comes to money, where instead, they should have confidence and satisfaction. Ms. Keehn's step-by-step guide teaches readers how to see the differences between 'net-worth' and

self-worth', how to overcome the fear of finances, and how to set goals and follow through with a plan. Ms. Keehn's vision is to assist women in

becoming financially free, independent and empowered.