The Invisible Worker - If I Was Acknowledged and Seen

Women have been working historically. It is the society that has failed to recognize their contributions. They have been contributing on the fields (owned by their fathers and husbands), on construction sites (with kids tied to their backs), selling fish (often fished by their fathers and husbands thereby acting as distributors). They have been knitting and manufacturing woolen clothes and other handicrafts.

Image courtesy: livemint.com 

They have been cooking, sweeping, getting wood for the fire, washing clothes, nursing the sick, bearing kids (thereby giving you legacy), and rearing kids. But when you ask these women about their contribution towards household incomes, they would reply they earn NOTHING. STRANGE! They are oblivious to their own contribution! Rather, they have been conditioned into thinking their contribution doesn’t have any economic value! But haven’t we heard “A penny saved is a penny earned.”

Their contribution can be corroborated by the fact that domestic work is already a paid job and house-maids, housekeeping professionals and childcare workers are salaried employees.

If women’s work was accounted for, they would –

• Be empowered, eventually leading to the independent thought process, family planning, and greater autonomy.
• become cognizant that they are contributors and the infrastructure in a man’s life
• stop accepting substandard treatment for themselves and their daughters
• See people valuing their opinions
• Have freedom and courage to take independent decisions rather than seeking “approvals” and “permissions” from the men in life.
• Reduce dependency on males. 
• not be viewed as Liabilities by the men in the house. Liabilities for whom, a fat dowry needs to be paid.
• Experience decrease in Crime rate
• Endeavor towards increasing their contribution towards their household income and towards the nation’s GDP, by participating in organized sector jobs. 

Do I mean to belittle the household chores the women do?  No. Recognition and respect for housework are mandatory, but not sufficient. It is time women should claim their contribution and command respect and parity. Unfortunately, the world will live in is materialistic and gives more importance to the provider than the nurturer.

Performing household chores has failed to give women equality, parity, standard of life, stalled their careers, jeopardized their financial security. The confinement to the household chores has rendered women’s opinions less pragmatic owing to limited exposure. The economic and social progress for women can be accelerated by joining higher-paid industries and jobs in the organized sector.

Should women in the family mainly house-wives be paid for doing the household chores?

We all agree that a housewife has a 24x7 duty which includes all activities from house cleaning, childcare, providing meals, emotional support, engaging in daily chores, etc. Some say monetary payments to housewife shall belittle their love and care. Counter-intuitively, have we berated the paid yet selfless fire-fighters, military, police, teachers, religious leaders, etc…

Having said that, it would be impractical to decide wages for domestic chores and to put the onus of this payment on the government or the man of the house.

The best alternative could be to drop our hypocrisy and categorize domestic chores as LIFE SKILLS. It is about time we truly walk the talk of equality.

I urge women to take firm stands in their homes to promote equitable division of labor and domestic chores and not give up their careers for the sake of themselves. It will help you keep afloat and elevate your status in society.

Unless we nurture a culture in which women have equal opportunity to achieve their potential over the long term, Gender parity is a far-fetched dream.