Long ago, I met a well-educated young man who wanted a partner who would be a housemaker, i.e. would not work outside the home. His reason for that requirement was so his wife could care for his unwell mum. According to him, his mum had a tough life after his father’s death, and it took a toll on her health. Now that he was a working professional, he wanted a wife who could be his life partner and care for his mum, who needed well-deserved rest.
I disagreed with his reasoning, but it was not my place to preach, so I let go of what I felt. But boy! Did I feel strongly about that on so many levels?
Let us get down to my reason why women should be financially independent:
- The most obvious is that working life brings us moolah, builds our sense of self, makes us confident, and helps us network and learn new skills. I also believe that while money may be the root cause of evil, it also does its fair share of good.
- I also believe that life is precarious and uncertain. Anything can tip a correctly set life. It could either be the death of a primary breadwinner, the loss of a job, confidence/ sense of self, or injury. So, in an uncertain world, it is better to be prepared and practical about it.
