Men and women have been created as equals and have equal rights. Unfortunately, for most of us, the financial and social status of women in India comes second to men. The women around us - be it daughters, sisters, mothers or our better halves, have a special place in our hearts and our lives. But many of them are likely to "not" be financially sound, literate or independent.

In today's world, where society is undergoing a big change, women continue to be most prone to financial crisis and are financially most vulnerable. We believe that it is very essential for women to be financially literate and independent, for many reasons like...

• The average life of a woman is more than the average life of a man.
• There is a growing number of single women. This may occur anytime due to career choices, divorce or death / disability of husbands.
• In absence of earning male members, females often carry the burden of the family.

The work life of women is less than men because of various reasons like raising a child, family problems, health issues, etc. Generally women also receive less pay than men.

• Women are more likely to come under pressure /influence of others in financial and inheritance matters.
• Financially literate and independent women can be of great support and financial help to their families, especially husbands. Women have been known to be smart savers and money managers at home.

One needs to look at the numerous examples before judging women as not being smart enough to handle financial matters. A financially independent woman can today support herself and her family with income. Such a person would have good control over finances and would attempt to shape the financial future for the betterment of all.

Most women are totally dependent on their husbands and families, not only for their day to day expenses but also for their financial future. Women generally don't have any clue about their family finances and are left totally dumbfounded in case of an emergency. Irrespective of how much money is the father or husband making, you are never fully financially independent without your own money. Being economically independent will boost your confidence, taking decisions for yourself, will increase your risk taking ability. You can satisfy your whims with your own money and might be the bread earner for your family in times of need.

Women generally have a different work life than men. Some are freelancing or working part-time or the hours of work are lesser or are more prone to taking leaves and sabbaticals. All these head to small savings for women. Clary Boothe Luce said "A women's best protection is a little money of her own". However, if not properly managed and directed into the right investment channels, these hard earned small savings will be futile.

What to do?
Proper savings and investments can help you become financially independent over time, even if you are not earning. The following are the steps that one should take...

Learn about money: Never feel shy or hesitant to learn more about money - savings, investments, investment products, mutual funds, etc. In case your family is not supportive, you can always reason with them. It is better to know about the financial holdings /assets /insurance policies and bank/demat accounts in your family to be ready for any emergency.

Be Active: The idea is to get more engaged in financial matters of your family, with the support of your spouse. Open your own bank account or have a joint account with your husband. You can also have your own credit card / debit cards for managing your regular expenses. Also start a demat & trading account with which you can make your investments.

Get Covered: Most often we find that the women, not having financial earnings are neglected when it comes to insurance coverages. This is a wrong perspective to adopt as every girl /woman has to be adequately covered with insurance.

Start Saving: The first step is to start saving and then investing those savings. The easiest way to save for long term wealth creation is by starting an equity mutual fund SIP. You can start with a very small amount, say R500 every month. Invest small savings in mutual funds through SIP and see your savings grow. You can also increase the amount of the SIP with the increase in your savings / income. Plan for your goals: You may have many short-term or long-term financial goals. Try to invest for your goals through mutual funds which offer different types of funds which will easily match your investment objectives and horizon. The investment horizon can range from few days to double digit years.

Old Age: A regular inflow of funds or a huge corpus is necessary for your maintenance in your old age. Just imagine being at the mercy of your son /daughter-in-law in future in absence of your husband. We don't even want to imagine that! No matter how much you love your family and children, you should not leave to fate what you can prepare for your tomorrow by investing smartly.

Emergencies: As the pillar of your family, women are likely to find themselves in emergency situations like accident, ill-health, loss of income, etc. of their husband or other family members. Having some money saved for emergency can prove to be be immensely helpful and you would not be forced to beg for money from others. Keep aside some liquid investments for emergencies only.

Conclusion:
Every person has an equal right to dignity, respect, freedom to pursue own dreams and independence, including financial independence. Financial independence and empowerment of women can not only bring great benefits to a family but also to the entire community and country at large. Let us work towards ensuring this, beginning first at home.