I Have seen that many ladies in India,especially housewives belonging to the middle class and upper middle class households are totally dependent on their men folk where finance and spending money is concerned. I have always felt that this somehow makes them frustrated, which in turn tends to come out in other ways making the family life unhappy. I personally feel that it is very essential for women to be financially independent.
I personally feel that it is very essential for women to be financially independent- it is essential for the well being of the family that even a housewife who is looking after the home and children have some spending money that she can call her own.
It is great when there is understanding and the woman of the house does not feel degraded, but if that is not the case then it can lead to many other problems within the family and these are easy to guess. When a woman is disgruntled and frustrated it automatically reflects on the entire family.One may try to make light of the issue but , financial independence is very essential in making a family self sufficient and making the couple especially the woman more confident about the future . I feel that it is only when the lady of the house is satisfied and happy does a family prosper !
I am not saying that in my country all women are dependent on men, but many still are, especially those who were married off early in life and had no proper access to education and have never had the chance to work outside their homes and earn an income…Tradition and customs also encourage this to a great extent, making the woman dependent on the man. One feels that a financially independent woman is definitely happier than someone who has to depend on a man for all her expenditure. It is in very rare situations that a man gives complete freedom to his wife where finance and money is concerned ..
Looking back, in fact India is one of the first countries to have a Lady as the Prime Minister of the country, but that is exactly what I am saying. There is a class of highly educated well placed ladies in very important posts and the other class of ladies who are totally at the mercy of their fathers, brothers or husbands..I am sure there are many opportunities available for women these days but are they able to assert themselves and go for it..what I am talking about is the kind of person who wants the wife to be dependent on him permanently and who would torment the wife for every rupee she asks!!…Ideally a couple should be able to share everything equally, including finance . More importantly the woman needs to have a say in the matter regarding whether she wants to stay at home or work and that decision should be respected by the other members in the family..
The extra income that a woman earns should be a source of strength for the entire family, but at the same time a woman has some needs like ,she may want to pick up some cosmetics or some other thing she fancies, or she may need money for any other expenditure, and she should have the freedom to spend without feeling guilty about it..In India in most middle class households where the wives are not earning it is the husband who controls the finances. But there are exceptions no doubt , where the wife gets more freedom with the money matters..
Women can be manipulated and dominated by any one, only as long as they have no financial independence..I have seen many women who feel bad to ask for money even for their essentials because the husbands make it look as if they are doing them a favor, thats what happens when a person is dependent- the others take advantage..I agree that the needs and outlook of a woman is different to that of a man. I don’t say that all women are careful regarding money, but one generally has seen that most women are very good at saving money and conserving money.
I have come across cases where the woman gives her entire salary to her husband and then asks him for her pocket money, but at least he will respect the money she is earning. My own feeling is that ladies had much more respect and financial freedom during olden days, that is evident when one reads the scriptures. Somewhere in the later period this began to change with man gaining more power and the woman starting to be dominated by man..
In a marriage or elsewhere in relationships we are interdependent but there should be no room for any other person to take advantage of you, and, this happens most of the time when you are financially dependent on others
