OES GENDER INFLUENCE BANKING AWARENESS? A CONTEXTUAL STUDY UNDER PRADHAN MANTRI JAN DHAN YOJANA (PMJDY)

Research studies have shown that when it comes to financial matters, Indian women lack the conviction to handle money matters independently and most of the time they depend upon male members to help them in taking prudent financial decisions. Women are said to face financial challenges such as the need to build financial resources while performing multiple roles throughout their lives. Lack of financial awareness is cited as a major reason for women's financial dependence. An attempt has been made in this study to find out the banking awareness of women in comparison to men in the context of the world's largest financial inclusion programme currently in operation in India under the banner of “Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY)”. The study finds that gender influences financial awareness of account holders under PMJDY.