Why I Think Women Need Financial Independence

Financial independence does a lot more for women than just help meet the expenses. A take on the need for women to be financially independent.

It’s been four months to my marriage. After marriage I continued my job in the same company, living in the same city and my focus on career is still the same as earlier, thanks to my husband. So unlike the majority of women, my life didn’t change much after marriage.

It feels good to be surrounded by a loving husband and rely on him for my day to day needs. But at the same time I think it is extremely important to be financially independent and have the confidence to manage my own expenses when needed.

Here are my reasons of why I feel its important to be financially independent.

Financial independence brings self-reliance

A lot of times (in my personal and professional life) I realize it’s a ‘man’s world’ where women are not treated equally.  A woman needs to be empowered and independent enough to confidently take decisions ensuring a life with high self-esteem. Financial independence helps a woman to rely on herself and support her decisions.

Financial independence gives you the confidence to take control of your destiny

There are situations which humans have no control over and things happen because of fate, luck and the will of God. Destiny plays an important role. But there are certain situations when women suffer only because they don’t have the confidence to take control of destiny. And she lacks the confidence because she is not financially independent.

Well, I can take charge of my life when I am empowered and self-sufficient to manage basic necessities myself.

Financially independent women contribute to the country’s economy and GDP

Increase in female participation at work helps society. They pay taxes to the Government, and help in a better GDP by earning actively. They also contribute to charity and emerge as givers to society.

A financially independent woman can support her parents

Your husband earns well and takes care of all your needs. Fine. But what if you want to support your parents in a crisis? Well, it’s only in Bollywood or in exceptional cases where husbands happily support your family. In real life, with high inflation rates it becomes tough to manage all the expenses for a single earning person. And even if your husband supports them, your parents may not like to accept it. But if the daughter is financially independent, they may take the help.

A financially independent woman acts as a backup for her family

Your husband wanted to pursue his entrepreneurial dream. But he cannot, because the family depends on his income. What if you were also working and could support the family? He could have easily gone ahead to accomplish his dream.

This is just one example. But there are circumstances like recession, health issues when it becomes a plus if the woman is financially strong.

Financial independence brings self-improvement and personal development

You start earning when you constantly work on your skills. And once you start earning you have resources and freedom to further improve yourself by joining different classes and exploring your creative side. Besides, meeting new people also help a lot in personal improvement.

And finally,

It feels extremely good to not be dependent on anyone for my expenses, whether it is to buy an expensive bracelet or a DSLR of my choice to pursue my photography hobby. I am slowly contributing towards building a better and improved me. And my husband loves me more seeing me doing my bit and moving forward each day.

Pic credit: 401(k) (Used under a CC license) 

Neha Agarwal

Neha is a digital marketing professional with a flair for writing. She is into blogging

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