As the world transitioned back into in-person conferences and events, one of Avtar’s premier skill-building and networking programs for women professionals, Segue Sessions, marked a triumphant return with its 16th edition.
With a set of power-packed transformative sessions, the conference covered an eclectic array of essential topics that are the core yet invisible responsibilities of the Indian Woman Professional. One such featured topic was a Fireside chat titled Love Yourself, Protect Yourself. Lakshmi Vijaykumar, AVP – Events & Media Relations, Avtar Group, was in conversation with Harini Kannan, Head – Product Innovation and Development, Specialty UW, Liability & Specialty claims, HDFC ERGO, on how self-love translates into financial empowerment.
“More than how people think about you, it’s important to see how you perceive yourself. Prioritize yourself in terms of your health, financial and overall mental well-being. Love yourself is really about how you bring your true self to work and life,” Harini said in her opening remarks.
Harini shed light on the unknown risks women face: limited health priority, the burden of caregiving impacting well-being, and unplanned career breaks hindering professional advancement. Here, she pointed out why financial resilience is crucial to combat such risks. “Financial literacy is not gender-specific,” Harini said. She pointed out that the gender pay gap, longer life expectancy, and career breaks undeniably affect women’s financial security. However, she argues that a lack of confidence has the greatest impact, holding them back from pursuing better-paying opportunities, negotiating salaries effectively, and taking calculated risks with investments. Her advice is to invest in our mindsets and learn about the different fundamentals of investing. “Save early, look at your risk-taking abilities, plan for your future financial goals and understand insurance as a vital way to transfer risks during life-altering events,” Harini advised.
Signing off with her takeaway, Harini again stressed that women should boldly take control of their financial destinies and lead lives of empowerment and independence by educating themselves, making plans, making prudent financial investments, and embracing financial responsibility.
