New Delhi, Aug. 18 -- Today's women are not just managing household budgets, they're managing investments, overseeing insurance portfolios and making critical decisions around family wealth. Yet, despite this rising financial participation, many are unaware of powerful legal tools that can protect their financial interests.

One such tool is the Married Women's Property Act (MWPA), 1874, an over 150-year-old law that remains one of the most underused financial safeguards in India.

What is MWPA and why should women care?

The MWPA allows a married man to take a life insurance policy and designate the proceeds solely to his wife and/or children. Once invoked, the policy becomes a legally binding trust, shielded from creditors, extended fam...