Being financially independent has a certain significance for women and marginalized people. In a world and society that is run by capitalism, we can’t deny that money is the strongest kind of currency. Nor can we deny the fact that money offers many people the opportunity to free themselves from abuse or any kind of toxic environment—a fact that many women are familiar with and aware of. So, we’ve curated responses about women sharing how financial independence has helped them in their lives. Here, take a look for yourself.
1. “Since I earned well and my parents did not have too many expectations from me regarding marriage, I was able to find a person I respect and was able to marry them, and no one could say a word against me. So, I really am grateful that I was not forced into a relationship by my parents. Financial independence does not mean that you won’t struggle, it just means that you decide how you want to struggle.”
– RB_59·
2. “When you have money you can decide things for yourself. If your parents are patriarchal, they may not let go of you fully. But you’ll have some agency of control over your decisions. And never let your parents control your finances. Once you start earning, learn how to manage it.”
3. “I was financially dependent on my parents as a student so they had control over my life. Once I started earning I was free to do whatever I wanted, I’m living my dream life. I wanna buy something? I buy it. I wanna go somewhere? I go.
I don’t care if I sound materialistic, but money gave me freedom and happiness. I didn’t have to depend on anyone and I LOVED. That’s how I decided I’m never going to be financially dependent on anyone because like it or not, people who you’re dependent on financially will have control over your life and I never want to give that control to anyone.”
4. “It’s important because when things go haywire— being able to navigate and work in the world whilst having the choice to choose and being able to survive i.e independent enough to be able to handle things on your own and establish your autonomy are the one things that can really save you and make a difference. So that you can live a relatively normal life without the need for anyone else.”
5. “Not only does their independence make them self-reliant, but it makes them capable of funding their livelihoods. One more important reason is the influence this has on men. When men grow up around independent, thriving women, it influences the way they see women, and society as a whole. Most men in this country don’t see powerful women around them while growing up, cause sadly, more than half of the female population isn’t working.”
6. “One point of view is, to have a good quality of life and to be able to monetarily contribute to the family. You can support yourself, your parents, your children. Gone are the days when it was only a man’s job to be monetarily responsible and a woman’s job to be wholly responsible for household chores. Now men and women contribute equally to household chores and earnings too. I want the freedom to be able to take a break from my job and make time for my hobbies or just relax. And I want my partner to have the same freedom where he can just rely on me if he ever wants to take a break from his job.”
7. “My money = my choices = my life. Nobody can force me to do anything (marriage, kids, etc). So I live a quality life where I do things with actual purpose. If I want to buy my mom a MAC lipstick for no reason, I can do it. If I want to take myself on a spontaneous vacation, I can do it. If I want to go get a PhD, I can do it. I like options.”
8. “I will give you a recent example. I’m financially independent. I have a one-year-old baby. I have a cook, a maid and a nanny. Recently I decided to switch my job. So, I asked for a joining date which gave me a 2-month gap. The house help takes care of my domestic life. I am utilising this time to re-energize and play with my child. There are days when I don’t lift a finger. It’s a very small example, but do you think that I would be able to do all of this if I was not financially independent? In India even if you are from a rich household, women are expected to do domestic chores like cooking.”
9. “As a trans girl, for me, it’s a matter of survival. If I don’t earn, I’ll have to live with my abusive parents and risk losing everything I’ve worked for. If I don’t have money, I won’t be able to afford basic health care. I’d have to beg or do sex work, so yes that’s how important it is for me.”
10. “My mother started working right after she completed her master’s and retired just a few years ago. When we were young, my sibling and I used to miss her when she wasn’t around, so one day I asked her to quit her job and stay at home with us. She instead asked me, ‘What will I do if I don’t work?’ My 5-6-year-old brain didn’t have an answer for this, but I realised that her career was a huge part of her identity, and she would be pretty much lost without it. And it’s not like she was working because she didn’t have enough work at home. My mother was responsible for major financial decisions in the family. My dad did save money but he was a bit lost when it came to investments. The fact that we’re now living in comfort is mostly because of her hard work.”
We often underestimate the power of a good education and career in women’s lives. It may seem like we no longer need to push for any of these things and issues, but there is still a long way to go.
