Growing up in a Bengali middle-class household, I have watched my mother make miracles with money. She could stretch every rupee, run a kitchen like clockwork and gift gold with the precision of an accountant. But when it came to making decisions about insurance, investments or income tax, she stepped back. That was my father’s zone. My mother wasn’t bad with money. She just wasn’t expected to get involved in that business.
Decades later, I still see this pattern holding true in many Indian homes. Women are taught to save, but not to invest. They’re comfortable negotiating with everyday vendors but hesitate when it comes to negotiating a salary. They know how to manage money, but only within the four walls of their homes.
A 2024 report by the Humanity Welfare Council found that 80% of Indian women struggle with financial literacy. In fact, about 62% do not own a bank account or have only limited access to banking services. That means millions of women are figuring out adulthood without even having the basic tools to become financially independent.
Part of the problem is how we stereotype women when it comes to money. We’ve all heard casual remarks like “Arre isko kya pata paison ke baare mein?” or “Ghar ke kharche sambhal leti hai, bas kaafi hai”. Statements like this shape the way we grow up thinking about money. Girls absorb the message that finance is too technical, too risky, or just not for them. No wonder many women hesitate to ask questions, let alone make big financial decisions.
Behind these numbers are stories of women who don’t ask how her home loan works as she’s afraid of sounding ‘dumb’. From a young age, women are taught to be financially cautious. Boys get pocket money and investment advice. Girls get told to be careful. That caution turns into a habit, then into hesitation, and eventually, into silence. Schools rarely teach us the basics of financial planning. We graduate knowing how to analyze Shakespeare’s poems or find the value of X, but not how to read a salary slip or understand EPF.
For women outside the salaried class (especially homemakers), the situation is even harder. Of course, digital finance tools are there, but these platforms often require a certain level of prior knowledge. When it comes to making payments, UPI is great, but a very few women feel safe enough to explore beyond that (digital loans, mutual funds or retirement schemes) without the fear of getting scammed.
According to a 2025 Finsafe survey, over 60% of Indian women say they worry they haven’t saved enough for their goals. Still, 31% stick to traditional, low-return instruments like FDs or insurance-only plans, mostly out of fear or lack of information. However, when women are financially informed, it creates a ripple effect that further creates a transformative change. When women take charge, they save more consistently, invest more mindfully and pass better financial habits down the generations.
So where do we begin?
Here's a simple, no-shame starter kit to begin your financial journey:
| Steps | What To Do | Why It Helps |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Learn the lingo | Start with simple resources: YouTube or Instagram Reels from Indian CFPs. | Try learning some money vocabulary without having a jargon overload. |
| 2. Track one month | Use Google Sheets or even a pen-and-paper works. Note every rupee in and out. | Patterns are power. You’ll spot waste and wins. |
| 3. Do a mini-investment | Start a ₹500 SIP. Open an account with a beginner-friendly platform like Zerodha or Groww. | Doing is learning. Confidence follows action. |
| 4. Ask, don’t apologize | Join a finance Facebook group or even your colony’s ladies’ group. Don’t hesitate to ask silly questions. | You’re not alone. Most people don’t know either. |
| 5. Pick a goal | Want to buy a scooter? Fund your sabbatical? Pick a number. Make a plan. | Goals give finance a face and a reason. |
I’ve seen the impact of these small shifts firsthand. Riddima, a 34-year-old teacher from Lucknow, sent part of her first salary home like many of us do. But she also quietly started an SIP with ₹1,000 a month. Three years later, she has a ₹1 lakh corpus, checks her credit score regularly and recently even helped her cousin compare education loan options. She still buys gold during festivals, just like her mother. But now, it’s part of her diversified portfolio. That’s called evolution.
When women understand money, they’re more likely to support their families during a crisis and better equipped to chase their own goals. So, if you’ve been feeling left out of the money conversation, pull up a chair. There’s room here for all of us.
And trust me, money talks a whole lot clearer when it speaks your language.