Editor’s Letter
6 Outlook Money March 2018 http://www.outlookmoney.com
Malini Bhupta
[email protected]T
he struggle for women’s
rights could easily be called a
modern problem if one looks
at ancient Egypt, which was
ruled by some very powerful women
like Hatshepsut, Nefertiti, Sobekneferu
and Merneith. I wonder if women had
to fight for equal opportunities and had
one day in a year dedicated to celebrate
their achievements back then. In
modern times, women have had to fight
not just for universal suffrage but even
the right to work and equal pay.
The movement for women’s
rights went viral at the start of the
20th century. In 1910, a movement
for women’s rights was born in
Copenhagen with the Socialist
International holding a meeting of 100
women to fight for universal suffrage,
right to work and to end discrimination.
A year later, International Women’s
Day was observed in Austria, Denmark,
Germany and Switzerland, where a
million men and women attended rallies
for equal rights. More than a century
later, the fight for equality continues.
Today, only 27 per cent of Indian
women are part of the workforce, which
is the lowest among BRICS countries
and G-20 nations. When it comes to
women’s participation in the workforce,
reports claim, India is only better than
Saudi Arabia.
While women continue to fight
for their place under the sun in
India and abroad, Outlook Money
decided to celebrate women and
their achievements. Like the United
Nations, our current issue celebrates
women from all walks of life “for
their achievements, without regard
to divisions, whether national, ethnic,
linguistic, cultural, economic or
political”. And it is for this reason
that we have decided to put an
unconventional actor like Kalki
Koechlin on the cover. She may notoffer ace advice on investments, but
many women would connect with
her inability to say “no” to a friend.
Her life mantra is: “... you have to
find your strategies to living with
less”. That is how she balances her
passion for theatre with commercial
films, which bring in the moolah.
Koechlin is the archetypal
modern Indian woman – who is
financially independent, passionate
about her craft, unapologetic
about her choices and frightfully
honest. From actor to money
manager, Outlook Money’s team
went in search of stories of some
courageous women and returned
with true gems. From actors to the
money managers to CEOs, we bring
you India’s best.
Most women tend to undermine
their abilities and which is why they
let their fathers or husbands take
charge of their finances, even though
women are instinctively better at
it. Preeti Kulkarni spoke to leading
money managers to get insights
into women’s outlook towards
investments, and found that even
those who make their own decisions
take the conservative path.
While money is an important
ingredient of one’s life, how we deal
with challenges is what separates
the ‘sheroes’ from the heroes.
Anagh Pal delved into the lives of
four women, who marched towards
their dreams despite the odds. He
says: “Their stories are a tribute to
the indomitable strength of women.”
I must confess that I have
always cringed at the sight of pink
cupcakes on Women’s Day, but
after this issue, I will celebrate
achievements of women, even
though the world has to cover some
distance on gender equality. More
power to women across the world!Lest we forget
Time to celebrate achievements
of women, even though the world
has to cover some distance on
gender equality.Pink is the New Black