They say nothing lasts forever. Dreams change, relationships come and go, and peace prevails between rival nations ravaged by wars. But for us women, resilience never goes out of style.
Since the beginning of time, our journey to become independent has been an uphill climb, but we never quit. Today women not only hold the reins in their house but also of a country and global institutions. But even though we’ve come a long way in bridging what once used to be an alarming gap of opportunities for the genders, we are yet to overcome the disparity in wealth that is still alive and kicking in our society.
We have all talked and held discussions on the gender wage gap which seems to be especially prevalent in India, thanks to our socio-economic history and cultural landscape. But the gender wealth gap which refers to the difference in asset value between women and men, represents a larger financial issue that needs to be addressed. That’s why women are already taking the necessary steps towards securing their finances in these 5 easy ways, which would ultimately bring them #OneStepCloser in defeating the effects of wealth gap. Read on to know what they are.
1. Having rules on spending.
This is definitely easier said than done, but it can start with the smallest step of saving a portion of our earnings every month. Not only does this help us stay prepared better for unpredicted events like job loss and medical emergencies, but we also never ever have to really be under the pressure of depending on anyone else for funds, which is great. We just need to do our homework before making any big purchases and we should be good to go ladies!
2. Buying a life insurance cover.
A life insurance policy is the most basic financial plan we need to secure the future of those dependent on us. But it’s also a great way to protect and grow our life’s savings which we can fall back on anytime. Whether it’s to pay off our loans in the future, starting our own business, or even a sudden health condition, the pay-out from our life insurance will bail us out from any unforeseen situation while also taking us a step closer to fill in the gender wealth gap.
3. Investing in stocks.
Now we all know about securing our finances through investments. And, putting our money to work in one or more types of stocks is a great way to create wealth. In fact, people turn towards the stock market, because for long-term investors, stocks are a good investment even during periods of market volatility. However, when it comes to women, for the longest time, investments were being made on their behalf by male members of their family (father, husband, brother. etc.). Groww, an online investment platform, is empowering first-time investors, millennials, and women to invest independently with confidence and bring us #OneStepCloser towards closing the gender wealth gap.
4. Buying gold in any form.
This tip might already come in handy from our parents and yes we must listen closely to them to build ourselves a safety net. Unlike Indian currency, the sheen of gold comes with a universal appeal, automatically taking our asset value higher, especially in times of high inflation. Gold prices are also believed to soar to allow some protection in events of paper-based expenditures such as mutual funds, financial bonds, etc taking a plunge.
5. Keeping a tab on our liabilities.
When we say liabilities we’re talking about all the debt that we have in the form of home loans, car loans, personal loans, credit cards, etc. Outstanding debt is probably the biggest threat to our financial security, ultimately hindering the growth of our asset value if our income doesn’t keep pace. So to avoid this, we can start by ensuring to repay high-cost loans like credit cards and personal loans on top priority so these don’t negate our financial returns.
Our money is our choice and Groww is making it possible for women from all walks of life to make the best use of it. That’s why this International Women’s Day, the brand wants us to get #OneStepCloser towards defeating the gender wealth gap by encouraging more women to start investing. The brand already has about 10% of women investors on their portal who are contributing towards closing this gender wealth gap and are inspiring more women to join the wagon, because if one woman moves forward, then other women move forward too. Check out this video which gives us a meaningful message.
Like we discussed earlier, the gender pay gap might be the lowest-hanging fruit when it comes to talking about gender equality. But it’s high time that we address the wealth gap and strive for a better tomorrow.
