Empowering Women, Revolutionalizing Finance: The Ruchi Rathor Story

1. Can you tell us more about your childhood and how it shaped who you are today?

The general characteristics of a child are the combination of atmosphere, financial conditions, and social conditions they grow in. A child from a lower economic class would generally see the world as being a glass roof where they cannot partake in any kind of investments and take any kind of risk and are taught to save every penny. I was born in a similar lower-middle-class family, and alongside my father and the generations before them, all were all engaged in jobs. Government jobs were the highest aspiration one could think of at the time. 

We were a family of three daughters. Being  a typical Rajput Indian household my mother always regretted that she did not give birth to a son, which made her depressed and diminished her confidence and self-worth. There was always a sense of disappointment within her which made me feel incomplete about myself. I thought if I worked hard at school or home,  maybe my mother would be pleased. This led to me developing a people-pleasing personality and a very timid being. I was also subjected to both mental, verbal, and physical abuse for the longest time at home.

For college, I moved to Bhopal to pursue ‘Aeronautical Engineering’. As a science-oriented person, I tried to establish my values with the help of my studies and also became literature-oriented as I grew up. I started reading the Gita, Mahabharat, Ramayan, Upnishads, and every scripture I could to understand the meaning of life. The backing of both science and the Scriptures has been of tremendous help to me in my journey.

I understood that you cannot get a life by just doing a job. People who were taking risks were flourishing more than those just saving. People who dreamed were growing unlike what was taught at home to me about limiting one’s wants. Principles taught to a middle-class family child are opposite to what they should be. So I became the black sheep or the revolutionary of the family.  With my BSc, I joined a computer institute in Agra. At the Pragati Maidan Trade Fair, Compact computers had an exhibition stall, and my eyes were set on a 70,000 INR computer. In order to buy this computer for myself I got a counseling job at Ignou. There I was giving out sessions to MSc Students while pursuing my BSc. I then went on to become an examiner and for checking each paper I was given a nominal amount of 80 INR at the time. I worked hard at both my degree and job and collected whatever money I could and in this way bought the aforementioned computer. I also learned that if you want something and work hard for it, nothing can stop you from achieving it.

2. What was the idea behind finding an organization like Empowered Women?

It all started from my personal experiences, including domestic abuse at home and the way my mother was conditioned, shaped up by the understanding of society. This conditioning in our Indian society very much instills self-doubt into women while growing up where their worth is determined by giving birth to a child. This combined with the change I saw in myself when I started working for myself is what made me realize that we need women to move out and live for themselves. 

Women pursuing jobs are often told that if they work that’s on them but they have to manage all the household jobs as well. If you have the mental and physical capability to do both only then you are free to work. On the flip side if you are a stay-at-home wife you couldn’t buy anything for yourself because you feel you are not entitled to it. I saw girls with potential not try harder to achieve their dreams, given the circumstances both within the family and outside of it. 

When I had the power, I made myself self-dependent and decided that I am going to stand for people/girls who have the potential to do something but lack resources and support. Acknowledging the girl child’s potential is a point of contention in many families. The members fear that she might run towards freedom and turn on them for limiting her beliefs. 

80% of the girls in my company are freshers who are encouraged and groomed to bring out their potential. Girls from our organization have also moved on to larger companies such as Amazon. The problem lies in parents not recognizing, appreciating, and encouraging their children. I believe that young people learn from their mistakes and one should encourage them to make mistakes so that they can correct them in the future and grow for the better. 

3. How have you seen the idea and fight for inclusion change in the tech industry? What do you think still needs to be addressed?

I had a personal interest in Physics as a subject. As I delved into the ‘Theory of Relativity’ and ‘Quantum Physics,’ I began noticing parallels with concepts found in Indian religious scriptures. From the formation of matter through atoms—comprising protons and electrons—to the creation of molecules, I started to see how everything was interconnected within the broader fabric of life. The way our scriptures explain the ‘concept of Maya,’ describing the Universe as hollow, resonated deeply with these scientific ideas. While many girls around me were engrossed in TV serials that reinforced the notion of a woman’s place being in the kitchen, I immersed myself in the study of science and technology. 

It took me ten years to convince myself and the people around me that technology, science, and research in the STEM field are not tied to gender. So, the fight for inclusion for me has been a long one. Moreover, 90% of the owners of businesses were men, and working with them was another challenge in the inclusion battle. In business meetings, I was asked about my marital status or comments on my dressing style. For the longest time, my answer was ‘yes I am married and I have two children’ to avoid further scrutiny and be considered more than my gender to be taken seriously professionally. 

Slowly, I then understood that my work has to speak for itself. I realized that I had to be in such a position of authority that the person at the other end of the table had to think multiple times before throwing personal and random questions at me. I was working hard and advocating for it. Relentlessness and perseverance have helped me achieve multiple laurels in the industry. The motto is to face the struggles head-on because problems in your life mean that you are living.

6. What is something you’re grateful for, be it in your personal or professional life?

From school days since I was a science student I loved Physics and Mathematics. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr. Gogia, my maths and chemistry teacher, and Mr. Ravi Sharma, my Physics teacher, who inspired me and helped me to shape my career and I am grateful to them till this date. They taught me free of cost in their tuition during my tenth and twelfth. The Director at my P.G Diploma institute coaching center, Mr. Anup, also helped me a lot with getting my IGNOU Scholarship and even loaned a bit of money that was of great help to me to get my first computer. 

My husband supported me a lot throughout the journey. My teachers, professors, and my mentors are the ones who helped me and I am very thankful to this date. My professors have helped me juggle both my job and graduation studies for which I am forever thankful to them. I feel these people have been the noble souls without a blood relation and guiding angels helping me navigate life.