Insurance for Women

(http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Women-make-up-less-than-a-third-of-insured-Indians/articleshow/31759775.cms)

As the title of this article suggests, women make up around thirty percent of all insured Indians. This number stems from perpetuated cultural values - that men should have all the financial decision-making power in Indian culture. As men tend to domineer over their wives and daughters, many of these women go without necessary insurance not necessarily because they cannot afford it, but because their husbands choose not to spend their money on their wives and daughters. However, women are experiencing a greater voice than ever before in these types of decisions. Working women in India, who are generally more autonomous over their money, have sharply increased the rates at which they are buying life insurance, a sign that is both encouraging to these companies as well as to the government. Women are not yet on equal footing with men, but this poverty and death can be alleviated through insurance purchases.

1. Is spending money on insurance a necessity for Indian citizens, and if so, what effect does this have on the economy and the uprising of the poor in India?
2. What are steps these companies can take to help foster a rise in the rates of women purchasing insurance for themselves?
3. What CST themes relate to this news and how can they be better upheld?