They are an integral part of the household who provide stability, comfort and security for children and partner alike. Housewives often glue the family together even in the worst of times. Apart from the traditional chores that they do (or are expected to do), they often take extra responsibilities of cooking meals, planning family events, managing important documents and keeping up with finances- just to name a few! They are the creators of an order and routine which makes everyone at home feel secure.
A specific someone in our family kept things manageable and simple for us throughout the coronavirus lockdown by preparing meals on time, tidying the house, watching the kids, and doing domestic duties. This was helpful because many of us stayed at home during the lockdown.
The person we refer to as the “homemaker” is that particular someone, without whom a household cannot run well. Every year on November 3, we commemorate Housewife’s Day, also known as Homemaker’s Day, to recognise and celebrate those who manage our houses. The day honours the millions of dedicated stay-at-home moms and spouses who everyday take care of the family, manage their personal job, and perform household duties.
History
Someone who looks after the house while their partner is away at work is known as a homemaker or housewife. However, the phrase does not simply apply to mothers and wives. In contemporary culture, the phrase refers to any gender who puts up a lot of effort to maintain order in their house. It may be a male, an adult child, or any other relative.
However, traditionally, a woman or mother of the household has been referred to as the “homemaker.” It’s unclear exactly when Housewife Day was observed for the first time. Though a lot of people think that the day was started by a housewife who felt that her labours went unnoticed. Even yet, the holiday is still not as well-known as other holidays, it has made significant progress in terms of the idea.
Should women be paid?
Our society has taught our females that housework is more essential than other hobbies since, after marriage, you are expected to take care of your family and handle all home responsibilities. It is a sort of custom that has been carried out for many generations. Nearly 159.85 million women reported home work as their primary employment in the 2011 census.
Additionally, it was noted in the National Statistical Office’s Time Use in India-2019 study that women spend, on average, approximately 299 minutes a day providing unpaid domestic services to household members, compared to men’s 97 minutes.
Housewives are those who work only at home, taking care of their families, cleaning, and cooking for the most part of the day. They take care of all household maintenance and family requirements without receiving anything of monetary worth in exchange. Is it the time to put an end to these occurrences? The idea of paying housewives for their labour is not new. Venezuela was the first nation to acknowledge the labour of stay-at-home mothers by paying them in 2007.
Need of a law?
When a legislation like this is passed, guaranteeing allowance to housewives will benefit all of them in numerous ways. First of all, for all the single moms who work as housewives, it will provide a fantastic sense of security. Since a housewife must provide for all of her financial requirements in the event of her husband’s death, it becomes extremely difficult for her to subsist unless she is compensated for the domestic labour she does. She will have no trouble meeting all of her financial demands and those of her family.
Secondly, it will be a fitting tribute to their dedication, time, and hard work since they labour tirelessly every day without the breaks that come with working outside, including weekends and holidays. In addition to caring for cattle, they frequently help with farming tasks including planting, harvesting, and transplanting in rural homes. They will be able to live more dignified lives because their labour will be valued more than it is now, when it is only seen as a responsibility that must be paid for.
Thirdly, a housewife would no longer be viewed as an inconvenience. As is well known, some individuals still view housewives as burdens who do nothing except stay at home and eat. A housewife may choose to remain in an abusive relationship because she is accustomed to doing unpaid home chores and doesn’t want to put her parents or siblings through too much stress by divorcing. And frequently, following a divorce, they lose custody of her child because she is unable to support her child financially. Such housewives will also benefit from it.
The Supreme Court said in January 2021 that a woman’s job at home was just as valuable as her husband’s labour in the workplace. It sends a message to society at large that homemakers’ labour, contributions, and sacrifices are valued by the law and the land courts. It is an acknowledgment that, despite the fact that they may have historically been left out of economic calculations, these activities actually do have a significant impact on the financial health of the family and the country. Additionally, the bench of Justice N V Ramana and Surya kant says, “It is a step towards the constitutional ideal of social equality and guaranteeing everyone’s right to a dignified existence.”
