Define Your Future

There are incremental changes that you need to make in your financial plan as you age, though the essence remains the same. We have stories of six women from different age groups that show how resilience and grit can secure your future, how awareness can define your path, and fill the financial gaps

- Shivangini Gupta

The latest film, Mrs, a remake of the The Great Indian Kitchen (released in 2022) that is making waves on the issue of women empowerment, is an eye-opener on how patriarchy works in India and the kind of life women are forced to lead even in today’s day and age. The protagonist, Richa, is a modern-age girl, a choreographer in her 20s, who tries to fulfil all the demands of the institution of marriage, but revolts against it in the end when she realises that there’s no hope of changing or expecting anything positive from it. She goes on to make an independent career of her own and even chides her own parents—a symbol for Indian parenting—for pampering the son.

Some say that her case is extreme, but scores of Indian women, especially of the earlier generation, have spent similar lives and were unable to break from the grind. Even today, several others, like the second wife of Richa’s husband, are stuck in a similar situation.

But the good news is that more and more women living in the metros, especially in the age groups of 20s and 30s, are now becoming conscious about their surroundings and financial independence. In fact, a lot of them have started investing independently, according to a dip-stick survey carried out by this reporter. Experts agree that there is rising awareness among women in this age cohort.

Says Renu Maheshwari, CFP and a Securities and Exchange Board of India-registered investment advisor (Sebi-RIA): “I have witnessed that compared to any other age group, women in their 20s and early 30s are consciously choosing to invest and are selfstarters without any push. If I had to estimate (women’s participation in general), around 90 per cent of them (her clients) actively track their investments.”

Despite varied income brackets of different age groups, women are investing 37 per cent of their income, according to the survey.