Women empowerment has become a household word for everyone. Through this, women are fighting to get equal opportunities and gender equality in every field. Now, women are taking up positions in different fields, where earlier only men worked. Parallel to this movement, a movement that needs to be started at our homes is sharing the responsibility of household work between men and women.
The initial step would be a radical shift in our mindsets that ‘household chores are meant for women.’ Let me tell you something, there is no aspect about housework that only a woman can do. Similar to the pace of change in the workplace, a change is necessary in the case of household work also.
A lot of men are ready to share equal responsibility for household work but what holds them back is society’s reaction. Society, even in this century, sees this as some sort of crime. Gone are the days when only women did the household chores. Even when fast-paced changes are happening in the world outside our homes, we feel reluctant to change our outdated thought processes.
A common scenario that all of us can relate to is when a male member of the family takes a broom and starts sweeping the floor of the house, an older female member stops him and asks, “Why are you doing a woman’s job?”. There is no written evidence that household work is women’s only.
Most progressive families are often looked upon as some kind of criminal family. Men who are ready to do household work are often called bad names by their relatives and society. The ones who deserve appreciation for their initiative to do household work are the ones who get hatred, disrespect, etc. from others.
The new ideology that is spread in society is that a man should ‘help’ the female members of the family in housework. Please understand that it is not a woman’s job to do household chores (we are just wrongly conditioned to think this way). Every family member (irrespective of gender) should take part in household chores (that is the right way).
Let us begin this movement from our homes, by actively participating in household work as an individual, no matter which gender. If you have ever made fun of a man for doing household chores, then think again before you repeat it. Be the flag bearer of this movement and let the change happen.
(NOTE: Women’s work – a word commonly used in regressive families is categorized as an offensive word by Wikipedia.)