Alittle help is what is needed

Today women are highly educated but the mindset of the society is still old and full of disparity. The twin role of a home maker and career is quite challenging. There is a generational change from my mother’s time to my grand daughters time. The outlooks, aspirations, mode of dressing and eating styles have changed a lot but the ills of society for women are still there. The rule set by society that household chore, especially laundry, is a woman’s job is still prevalent. Masculinity and manhood are constructed through a gradual, timely, an orderly process, of socially prescribed, family centered and community related roles and responsibilities. The extent of these male focused roles is, to a large extent, undertaken by women at the household level, where primary socialization takes place. Boys are taught by their mothers and shown by their fathers how to be a man and they are excused. Today women are more self confident and sure of what they want and deserve. They expect their husbands to be equal partners in parenting and in sharing the chores of the household. There are million of women who despite doing a larger share of domestic labor don’t complain of this inequality of performing ‘female’ tasks around the house. My sister is a full time employed mother who often complains about the burden on her. 

The morning time is the hardest, when she gets her six year old son ready for the day. She wishes if she could gets a helping hand from her husband. She wished her husband would help her by taking the kid to the bus stop or help him pack his bag for school but he always shows his superiority of being a male and refuses to help my sister in any way. My sister’s biggest and oldest complaint is when both are at home. Her husband won’t help with the laundry. She often asks him as to why doesn’t he help with the laundry to which he says "Never do it. I've never done it on my own and probably never will.” He doesn’t help because he feels entitled not to. 

He needs to relax when he comes home from work and on holidays and Sundays. While my sister wont sit still even on a Sunday. That’s the difference between her and her husband. She is cooking, feeding the kid or doing laundry whereas her husband is watching television or having an outing with friends. She and more women like her need help. If only their husband do some laundry or make dinner occasionally. Women today want more help and also want appreciation for the work they do at home and for what they have given up, the sacrifice of their time and for their efforts.

 She doesn’t demand equality but wants recognition for the costs that inequality has imposed on her. She has less leisure time till her children have gone to bed and after doing all the household chores. Most households are of the collective opinion that doing any household chore, especially laundry, is a woman’s job. Its time to balance this disparity within the household by asking #IsLaundryOnlyAWomansJob and asking men to #ShareTheLoad. And now it’s time to think of a long term solution to this problem by nipping the prejudice at the bud.

“I am joining the Ariel #ShareTheLoad campaign at BlogAdda and blogging about the prejudice related to household chores being passed on to the next generation.”