“I want to be a housewife” – Said No One Ever

Modern India is witnessing a role reversal with more women stepping out to add new definition to their traditional silhouette. Women are expanding their horizons and are managing both jobs of being a home maker as well as that of a working woman. To break the gender stereotypes, the women of our country have stood for themselves and their rights. Women have proved their ability and today, they are marching neck to neck with the men of our country across all spheres and industries of the world.

Despite all the efforts to alter the image of women by adding more avenues to her capability, when we talk about the perception associated with the role of women in our society, it still stands incomplete. Earlier, the society accepted the role of a housewife over working women and deemed that as respect worthy. Now the tables have turned that the society of our country has become more partial towards the role of a working women and reckon that a house wife leads an idle lifestyle. The idea of working women was not to lay off respect from the post of a house wife and entirely shift it to that of a working woman. The idea was to sanction respect for women and her associated status irrespective of her being a housewife or a working woman or both.

At this point in time, a woman is believed to belong to a specific type of a category. One type is called the “housewife” type, which is dependent on her husband. This category is the unsuccessful and unproductive type. Whereas on the hand, the other type that exists is known as the “working woman” type, which is the independent, successful and the productive type.

Quoting Sri Devi from her movie ‘English Vinglish’
“mard khana banaye toh kala hai…aurat banaye toh uska farz hai”

This dialogue speaks volume regarding the discontentment spread unanimously among the women as their hard work in cooking is neglected as a regular duty where if the same task is performed by the husbands, then it’s celebrated as an art. The question is why a woman has to choose to opt for a lifestyle that confirms with the society’s prospects? Why can’t a woman be a house wife and receive the respect she deserves without being judged for it? .

Being a housewife is as exhausting as any other job. The only intangible variance is that it cannot be quantified in monetary terms. Hypothetically, a housewife alone mints more than any professional in a day, as she juggles from being a cook, house keeper, teacher, photographer, alarm clock, baby sitter, counsellor and the list is endless.

Being a house wife is an uphill battle, where a lot is spent in terms of time and strength in managing a house efficiently.

“For a working woman, financial liberty sponsors the quotient of independence. Hence, to live life like a housewife and be capital deprived will be a living nightmare for me.”

These are the words of a working woman when asked about her views if she would have been a housewife. There exists evident intolerance for the women who are financially dependent on their husbands in not only the men but also the woman of our society. The disheartening truth is that we all are aware of the daily struggles that the housewives go through to put a great show before their husbands and family just to keep them happy. The reality is that it’s a two way street. It’s not just the women alone who are dependent on their husbands but the husbands are equally reliant on their wives for emotional support, food, clean linens and its a never ending list.

Asking for money from your own husband for being an equal partner in the institution of marriage, since when did this right attract the qualms of being judged? Women prefer to be housewives owing to an array of valid reasons, some with an aspiration of being good wives; some aspire to be good mothers and some just want to be good cooks. All these comfort and predispose many to live a jubilant life.

Therefore, to be or not to be a house-maker is a subjective question which is solely dominated by an individual’s choice. What may be appropriate for some may appear as unsettling for others. The prerequisite is to change the way we look at things. It’s the perception that matters not the occupation that wins patters.