Puisa Kotha Hunibo? Women: Beyond earning
March 11, 2026
Over the past several years we’ve seen more women entering the workforce. This is a positive shift. Women are earning, contributing and becoming financially active. But earning money is only the first phase of financial empowerment. The next phase is having the confidence to manage that money and make decisions around it.
In many families, financial decisions are often handled by fathers, husbands, brothers or sons. And that is not necessarily wrong. In any household, responsibilities often fall to the person who is more comfortable or experienced handling them.
But is that because they are better with money, or because that is what we have been taught to believe? Are men more confident with money because they are naturally better at it, or because they have simply been encouraged to deal with it more often?
Something I observed recently made me curious. Moneybar had opened a stall. Many boys and men walked in, looked around, asked questions and made decisions. Some bought our products, some didn’t. But they seemed comfortable choosing.
Many women on the other hand approached the stall differently. Some were more hesitant and shy. Some took longer to decide. A few even seemed unsure whether they should step forward.
This is not a generalisation and it certainly does not apply to everyone. But it made me wonder if this difference begins much earlier in life.
Who is encouraged to take space, make choices, spend and ask questions? And who is taught to hesitate, double check and seek permission before deciding?
Perhaps the next phase of women’s financial empowerment is not just about earning money, but about feeling comfortable participating in decisions around money. It is high time women felt just as capable and confident making such decisions.
Maybe it is time for more women to step into this next phase of financial empowerment. And cheers to those who already are.
The original published column can be found at: Women: Beyond earning
Comments
Mike · Mar 13, 2026, 11:52 AM
@tadtong it’s actually a very common knowledge that women hold immense purchasing power. Looked up the internet randomly and it says women control or influence over 80% to 85% of all consumer purchases. That’s where I was coming from. In my earlier comment I said, “market” which I admit was a word too broad. I meant the consumer purchases. Just to give a little more hinge to my argument, most marketing design products with women as primary targets audience, and it does makes sense.
tadtong · Mar 13, 2026, 07:58 AM
disagree with @mike's take. The article was about women now being able to take financial decisions , capable enough to take it and not about who is earning and who isnt. And his take that" the market all around the world is definitely shaped by women and their decisions ??"The world he comes from sounds very rosy and perfect . unlike mine
Mike · Mar 13, 2026, 02:45 AM
Good perspective. It’s true the man goes out to earn while the woman takes care of the family, roles that have evolved as per the need and not decided or selected by societies. But having that noted it goes together or supported by this family structure: In most households, the money earned by the father from outside is brought home and given to the mother to be handled by her. She holds greater power where to spend and how to spend. Of course it’s not the same case in all the families, but most function this way. And for the most part, the market all around the world is definitely shaped by women and their decisions.
