Women, Wealth, and the Fine Line Between Power and Control

A reflection on why so many women pursue wealth not just for freedom—but to never feel powerless again.

Women are capable of creating the human race and yet, we still question whether we’re capable of building wealth. This contradiction fascinates me. The sad truth is — many of us have been conditioned to experience that power through fear instead of trust. According to a 2025 McKinsey report, “Between 2018 and 2023, global financial wealth increased by 43 percent, while the amount of wealth controlled by women rose by 51 percent.” Let’s now explore what money does for women emotionally.

Women often don’t chase wealth from the same place men do. For many men, money has historically symbolised status, achievement, expansion and legacy. For women on the other hand, money is often far more personal. It’s safety.

Safety to leave if things go wrong, to survive loss, to not feel trapped, and most importantly to never fully depend on someone else’s choices, moods or stability. We’ve historically understood what powerlessness feels like far more intimately than men ever had to. So naturally, financial independence is deeply personal for us.

Money is freedom, protection, choice and control. And this last word is where things get interesting. As a married woman and now an expecting mother, I’ve started questioning how much of women’s ambition is truly about power and how much of it is about trying to avoid ever feeling powerless again. I know that’s what motivated me to go from zero to actually building wealth for myself.

There are moments where my desire to earn more feels expansive and creative. Almost exciting, like I’m building something meaningful. And then there are moments where it feels urgent. Like if I slow down, I’ll lose something. If I’m not financially secure enough, life could become unsafe and unstable. It’s like in my head I need to prepare for every possible worst-case scenario before I can finally relax.

That isn’t power. That’s control.

You know, the most difficult thing about control is that it disguises itself beautifully as ambition, especially in women. The hyper-independent woman is praised endlessly by society. The woman who “doesn’t need anyone.” The woman who handles everything herself. The woman who keeps achieving, earning, managing and optimising. But beneath that image, there is often exhaustion. Why won’t it be? Control is exhausting.

Control says:

“I need enough money so nothing can destabilise me.”

“I need to secure myself before I can soften.”

“I can’t afford to fully rely on anyone.”

While financial literacy is important, I think many women are secretly craving something beyond financial independence now. Emotional safety. The kind where wealth no longer feels like armour because money built from fear feels very different from money built from power. Control-based wealth is rigid. Hyper-vigilant. Never enough. Power-based wealth feels grounded. Today, more and more women are moving towards building wealth from self-trust instead of survival mode.

If you want to discover whether your relationship with wealth is of power or control, and how you can possibly move from one perspective to another, then sign up for this 3 hour session on Power vs Control by Victor Manickam Knowledge Series.

Drop in the comments to sign up for the session.