Fiscal Empowerment: This is how mothers are redefining financial freedom

livemint.com:

financial independence of women is described by the term fiscal feminism and it is becoming popular in India. This term represents women’s freedom in terms of money, especially those who are mothers since they are defying traditional barriers and redefining their roles within the financial sector. India has experienced a significant growth of female investors over the last few years.

In spite of being socialised as caregivers and primary household workers, women have stepped out from their homes to earn income for their families thus contributing towards socio-economic development at a large national level. According to BlackRock, an investment management company, average female investors keep 68% of their portfolio in cash and cash equivalents, like savings bank account deposits, and fixed deposits. However, men keep 59% of their portfolios in cash and the share of women in stock investment is just 20%.

But these figures have changed during the pandemic. The period of isolation allowed many women to spend time on searching for additional sources of income. A lot of them started investing in stocks and mutual funds, growing their money exponentially by picking good quality investments, and started building their investments and an investment income.

The fiscal feminist movement in India has seen some notable examples. One such instance is a mother's experience with healthcare expenses for her child. She recounts, "My son, who is 23 months old, got very sick a couple of days ago, and we had to admit him to the hospital for severe viral gastroenteritis and dehydration.

I was not prepared for this. On the day of admission, I could not look at the financial aspects. I just left that to be taken care of by my husband." She