Every kind of work needs time, attention, and energy from us. So how can being a Housewife be any different from it? Like any other type of work, this one also requires patience, involvement, and dedication. The only difference is… it is Unpaid!
An individual household is the first and foremost unit of the economy. The person who is entrusted with the job of looking after the household needs to play many roles.
From cooking to counseling, from financial management to housekeeping, from taking care of health to taking care of social engagements, the roles are ever-evolving. These roles need versatility and mental strength. Traditionally women were automatically assigned to take care of the home and family because physically and emotionally they were more suited for it. The role of a homemaker was respected and was given due importance.
Even though they were not compensated financially but they were also not demeaned for it. Men were responsible for providing the finances and the division of work was well defined. But in the last 20-25 years, we can observe some changing trends. Boundaries that ensured division of labor between men and women have blurred. Also has changed the importance given to the ‘Non-paid’ work.
With monetary status increasingly becoming a parameter of ‘how you are perceived not only by the society but also by your own family members’… your financial worth has become important. More so with the uncertainties looming over relationships, because of increasing focus on ‘self’, unpaid contributors are the ultimate sufferers.
Thereby the contribution made by the ‘Housewives’ should not be swept under the carpet as ‘out of love activity’ but should be recognized and compensated as a financial activity. Let there be No unpaid labor!! Women should not be punished and pushed back out of the system just because they chose to ‘Love their families over loving themselves’.
– By Shilpi Johri
