Are Women a Gender Dividend for Investment: An Empirical Analysis from Indian Working Women Perspective

When it comes to financial matters, it has always been a male-dominated society so far! Generally, in a household scenario, the role of men has the upper hand compared to the female in a cultural context like India. This dominance can be felt when it comes to investment; naturally, the women’s perception, attitude, analysis, and investment pattern differ from that of men. Women are prone to invest in safe avenues like banks, post offices, investment in gold, etc., whereas, on the other hand, men choose to invest in risky avenues as they expect higher returns. With a view to the above context, the researchers have analyzed the role of women in financial investment planning and the factors that play a predominant role in investment. With more and more women joining the workforce today, the world is shifting toward gender equality, even in investments. Women play a predominant role in all walks of life. Women are becoming financially independent and also play a significant role in financial decisions in the family. With more responsibilities, the financial need to cater to loved ones also increases; therefore, investment and wealth creation becomes crucial. With reference to this context, the researchers have analyzed whether women’s behavior differs concerning investment decisions and choice of investment avenue as a part of financial investment planning. The paper also aims to understand the awareness level of women toward investment and to analyze factors that women would consider for investment. The study was carried out with the help of a questionnaire, which was rolled out among Indian working women to check the parameters, and the study results were drawn accordingly.