Why are women asked to choose between family and career?

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In the wake of the inhuman Delhi incident of man stabbing his wife to death because she wanted to continue her job, the question comes up- why are women asked to choose between our family and our career?

It's a woman's decision to choose between being only a home-maker and a professionally working woman. Neither must anyone force the decision on her and nor should she take the decision under any pressure.

Why are women asked to choose between her career and handling the house? Why have we conditioned ourselves as society to believe that the woman's primary work is handling the house and children; and that man's primary role is to be the breadwinner of the house.

Girls taught from their childhood to perfect the gol roti and are asked to adjust, always. Sehna padega (translation- have to tolerate) is the phrase every Asian girl has heard while growing up. But why?

Imparting the societal norms and gender stereotypes of woman working at home while the man going out to earn has been started from the ghar-ghar game we used to play as kids. 

And if in case any woman gets divorced, the most common judgement we get to hear is that she may be too career oriented. Also many are shamed and guilt-tripped for choosing career over family.

Sometimes choosing what we want ends up in incidents like this where women are stabbed to death. And more infuriating that there is no punishment, either by law (was arrested quite later) or hypocrite society (which would take up sticks and hit any couple hugging and kissing in public).

Why can't we support woman in our families who choose to be financially independent? Support her career and share the chores at home. And even if she herself choose to be a home maker, then sharing the load as well as it includes hard work as well.

Family should support us and not make us choose between family and career. We need both in our life- career to make us self sufficient and run the household; and family to love and support us. And no one should be asked to choose between one. If someone asks you to choose, more so forcefully, and try to pull you down and disvourage you from career; maybe they are just not your family. 

No matter the gender, the pressure of running the household is on both. So both the boys and girls should be trained from small age to do household chores. There is no escape from household chores, no matter you choose to be financially independent or a home-maker, so both should know how to take care of themselves and the house. And not just woman should be expected to look after house and children while men are expected to bring truck loads of money.

And this applies to men as well. Giving them the choice to be a home-maker (many men are choosing to become homemaker around the world) or a professionally working man.

So let us just give women and men the right to choose between being homemakers and professionally working people. And whatever the decision would be, let's support them and share the load at home.

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