More than half of women working in European financial services who are yet to have children believe that becoming a mother would have a negative impact on their career trajectory. Almost one in four respondents to Financial News’ Women in Finance Survey 2017 fear the impact would be significantly damaging.

Such an image puts young women off entering the industry, according to Camille McKelvey, head of match strategy at data group Trax and a founder member of the International Capital Markets Association’s Women’s Network. She says: “One of the things we struggle with is that women who are even considering coming into this industry are put off by a worry that if, further down the line, they decide to have children, take a break, and then come back, their career will be seriously damaged.”