Recently, on a TV cooking show, I saw a housewife, who was excited to show off her cooking skills and when asked about her whereabouts by the presenter, she meekly said that she was a housewife. The submissive way in which she accepted her identity made me think of the recognition of a woman who sacrificed everything for the good of a family and timidly established her supposed identity.

Why does everyone see women as mediocre? Or the question should be why are all housewives treated inferiorly?

This has been an unresolved question for a long time. I’m calling it unresolved because there hasn’t been a proper clarification or response, rather studies have given different terms like housewives, stay-at-home moms to show some respect for these women.

This situation is seen mostly in small towns, where women are considered mediocre for the indifferent and thankless chores they do on a daily basis. Especially, in recent years, it has grown to a large extent due to the overwhelming scenario of working women or independent women of the current generation. I say this, not to criticize working women, in fact it is another way of showing that women are stronger than men even at work. But that doesn’t mean that women who are basically housewives are any less than these working women. Many working women would also agree that these housewives are, however, superior and much more capable of handling things that the segment of men could hardly imagine. There is a drastic need for men to change their mindset towards these women.

There is a clash of ideas about who is responsible for basic day-to-day tasks. Men often don’t realize the amount of hard work and effort that goes into completing these neglected and unpaid tasks that are really vital in the long run to living a good and healthy life.

Being a cultural country, people attach importance to values, customs and traditions. So the main reason that these great women are at home is to follow these traditions for the well-being of the whole family. Women understand it as her main duty to take care of the family and that she is the only person responsible for making or breaking a family.

A simple answer to the question of why housewives are treated inferiorly is that people do not know their value, their importance and their value. A likely suggestion is to pay the salary. Just as a working employee is paid a salary for the amount of work done and the responsibilities that are taken care of, similarly hard working women should be specified a reimbursement. They say that a mother’s love cannot be measured and it would be a mistake to make calculations. But to bring that long-awaited respect to these great women, it wouldn’t hurt to create their identity and make their presence felt in society. The best way to convey the list of tasks performed is to count the number of hours worked and the number of people cared for, along with household chores that are purely for the look and feel of the house with fringe benefits for those duties children and the elderly, without forgetting that this is not just a 5-day-a-week schedule, but a 24-hour, 7-day, 365-day-a-year schedule. Managing the house can be compared to managing an organization single-handedly.

If the salary is to pay, many men would rummage in their pockets to satisfy their basic needs, forgetting about incentives, bonuses, perks, commissions, etc. Women give their lives for the good of the family and sacrifice is considered the highest of all values. Even educated women understand their duties and have been managing their work-life balance without affecting their primary role as a wife or mother.

It is time for women to be recognized for their selfless service and respected for who they really are. Hoping that this International Women’s Day, a better humanity can receive these great women who are no longer ashamed to call themselves housewives and their husbands proudly show their wives with respect.