Women  Making Their Own Money Is Key To Their Survival In Today’s World

Chinwe Ifezulike-Odita

The world is not particularly friendly to women. Women and children bear the greater brunt of bad decisions made by politicians who are mostly male anyway. The saying ‘’it’s a man’s world is so true especially in male dominated societies like Nigeria.

All one needs to do to verify the veracity of that saying is to visit Internally Displaced People’s Camps(IDP) or war/conflict torn areas of the world and they will have a change of heart. Often in such places, the men will be sitting or lying around helplessly while the women will be doing whatever little they can to ensure that their children and unborn babies survive. In Nigeria, responsible men try their best to help their wives and partners feed and raise the children but when things become really difficult, the man can walk away and society may not condemn him too much but let a woman walk away from her children, society will call her ‘unnatural, daughter of jezebel, spawn of satan etc. What this means is that society expects women to be nurturing, caring, and even sacrificial towards her children and often  towards other children which she may meet on her life path.

Is it then any wonder that most women struggle all their lives to make ends meet, denying themselves luxuries and so many niceties of life, just so that their children can become great in life. All over the world, you find stories of women doing menial jobs, doing petty businesses all in a bid to send their children to school and have them live lives better than hers, especially in third world countries. The women that are lucky to have their men shouldering the responsibility often are termed lucky by their less unfortunate counterparts.

In this 21^st century, things have begun to change, more women have become educated and many of them  have good paying jobs and can with or without the help of their males, send their children to good schools. This trend is not likely to change but is even getting better because there are a lot of organisations willing to support women and help them rise to their fullest potentials. This author discovered recently that there are plenty of NGO’s ready and committed to empower and promote women in business.

One of such organisations is the women Trafficking and Child Labour Eradication Foundation  (WOTCLEF), an NGO founded by Chief Mrs Titi Amina Abubakar, wife of the former Vice President of Nigeria, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

Herconomy is another organization set up to uplift the economic status of women. According to the CEO, Ife Durosinmi –Etti, ‘’We aim to create opportunities for talented women and their brands to connect with potential investors and customers. By doing so, we are contributing to the advancement and growth of women-owned enterprises which is a crucial step towards a brighter economic future for women everywhere’’.

In Women’s Corner today, we want to encourage every woman who wishes to have her own money, to start planning now. Look out for organisations that offer assistance to women such as the two mentioned above. There are myriads of them.

We also want to share these tips from the all- time classic book on financial freedom, ‘’The Richest Man in Babylon’’ by George Samuel Clason. The book was written in 1926 but its financial advice  is still very much relevant today.

• Pay yourself first, in other words, save at least 10% of your income before spending on anything else.
• Control your expenses by living within your means and avoid unnecessary debt.
• Make your money work for you: Invest your savings wisely to generate passive income.
• Seek Opportunities for growth: Continuously educate yourself and develop new skills to increase your earning potential
• Protect your wealth: Insure yourself against unexpected events and diversify your investments to minimize risk.
• Be cautious with investments: Research and understand the risks before investing your hard earned money.
• Avoid get-rich-quick schemes: Focus on long term wealth building strategies rather than chasing quick profits
• Surround yourself with knowledgeable advisors: Seek guidance from experts who can help you make informed financial decisions.
• Take calculated risks. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and seize opportunities that have the potential for significant returns.
• Learn from your mistakes: Embrace failures as learning experiences and use them to improve your financial decisions.
• Be disciplined with your spending: Differentiate between needs and wants and prioritize your financial goals.
• Be patient: Wealth accumulation takes time and requires consistent effort. Avoid impulsive decisions and stay committed to your long- term plan.
• Give back to your community. Share your wealth with the less privileged and contribute to the betterment of society.
• Maintain a positive mindset: Believe in your ability to create wealth and attract abundance into your life.
• Take responsibility for your financial future: Don’t rely solely on others to secure your financial well-being. Educate yourself and take control of your own financial destiny.

Till next time, look after yourself and be bold, beautiful, creative and caring.