Times have changed! Modern women do not need to do household work?

This is what I heard someone say (the question mark is my addition). The role of a modern woman in sharing household tasks is something I have been thinking of ever since and I'm absolutely clear about how I feel regarding this. But before I go into that I wanted to share where I'm coming from.

I've always felt very strongly about womens' emancipation. I grew up in an atmosphere where my mother almost drilled it into us that women MUST be financially independent. My mom was the only girl in her senior school, in the little town where she studied. She did her masters and B.Ed. before she started teaching at a government school. This at a time when the main aim for a girl or atleast the girl's family was to give away the girl in marriage. The sooner the better, before the girl developed a mind of her own and confidence to think beyond marriage, I guess. My mom got married at the ripe 'old' age of 24. Aah well, that's still young for our times.

So mom had made up her mind that we (my sister and me), especially since we were girls, were only going to get the best education. This would surely stand us in good stead and help us to explore a world beyond the small town we were living in. She was so right! We do thank our parents for their foresight and commitment, even if it meant we would have to live apart in a boarding school for most of our young lives, to ensure that we study well and get the opportunities that a child anywhere in the world would be proud and lucky to have.

I stand for equality for women in all spheres of life. I hate to see people, especially parents, stereotype their children into our set notions of male and female behaviour, right down to boys never wearing pinks or god forbid if they play with a doll or a sissy stuffed toy. I get thrilled when I see a woman riding a huge bike, a female pilot, female CEO, female ambassador. Its just a great high to see women in these roles, breaking stereotypes.

To get back to the topic I started writing about.... Times have changed a lot and we see more and more women doing very well professionally.

Women have always done exceptionally well as homemakers but there's no reason why only a woman should be a home maker. There is so much to be done in the house on a daily basis and as times have changed these tasks are shared by both the partners, males and females. The biggest difference today is that the home is not only a woman's domain or responsibility but also a man's. This differs in each household based on who works outside the house, who spends more time in the house and thus has more time to take care of the daily chores. For me its really not a man versus woman thing. If I as a woman, have more time on my hands to complete some chores I'd do them gladly and at the same time delegate some work to my partner as and when he has time. I do not subscribe to the view that I will not cook and I will not do household chores because I am a new age woman. I may not cook if I don't like to, if its an activity that I dislike. There's a difference. Otherwise, I will cook and I'll get my partner to help out too.

What I find odd is if I refuse to share the household work only on the pretext that I am a modern woman. So what! Yes I as a modern woman have more power and freedom to choose as I do and delegate.

Another aspect to this is that in our culture we lay great emphasis on respect for the elderly. Its not a bookish notion but actually practised with all sincerity. :-) It means a lot to the elders, more perhaps than material goods. Thus a lot of responsibility and daily chores are delegated to persons (regardless of gender) who are younger in the household. In such a scenario it doesn't have much to do with male versus female but rather the elderly and the young.

Doing household work would not make me less of a modern woman, or reflect that I'm still living in the dark ages. We can be modern while also cherishing our culture and values. Both men and women in order to be self sufficient, house proud, independent individuals, need to contribute in the house and not just financially!