She

 The world we live in claim that we are modern in the way we think, act or react. The current society on the surface level asserts that it is a most empathetic, compassionate and caring one towards the fellow beings. We find articles, speeches or informational materials all over that tends to educate us on being compassionate towards the nature and fellow beings. They try to instill human values of empathy, affinity, affection, care etc. Despite all these efforts, very few are still in practice, especially the society’s care and affinity towards a woman. Can we say that we are doing justice to the females?

A woman’s role in the family and society is pivotal. Earlier a woman’s role was confined to homemaking but today she has spread her wings across all the areas. But whatever be it, many of her problems go unnoticed. The society asserts that women are treated equally with men these days. The claim may be true to a certain extend when compared to the hardships suffered by women of the earlier centuries. But still to a large extend, the socially constructed set of behaviours still hold on to the norm that household works are the duties of a woman. When a male or a boy does his own chores, everyone consider it as a help or support. But why is that treated so? How can it be a help or support when he is doing his own duties? A typical house in our areas still hear the voices of elderly people saying the cliched dialogues, “Girls should not sleep till late mornings”, “Girls are to be trained in doing household chores at young age itself”, “Girls should reach home early” etc. When are we going to completely wipe off all these ideas from our society? 

Women have advanced in education, thought and creativity. She has started to earn on her own. Has that eased her way of life? For some it may have. But for many, it is an added burden. Financial as well as house hold responsibilities fall upon her. She struggles to row two boats at the same time. A working woman’s lifestyle is too hectic that she often forgets to enjoy her life. She has to get up early, prepare food for the whole family, do the dishes and laundry, clean the house, take care of the elderly people in the family, take care of the children and their studies. The picture of the whole family sharing the responsibilities still remains an unrealised dream for many working women. The working woman of a middle-class family rarely gets to save something for herself. Though the modern women are often picturised as career-oriented or self-reliant, the old image of the ideal homemaker hasn’t been effaced from her life. She struggles to maintain the work life balance. Her role as a working woman has not refrained her from any of her traditional duties. In spite of all these, she is expected to fulfil all her duties on time with perfection. 

It's high time, we unlearn the traditionally imprinted ideas of what an ideal woman should be. Let us recreate another image of a society in which both the genders are equally in picture. Let’s begin the change……

Ms. Sabina, Asst. Prof. of English 

Al Shifa College of Arts and Science, Kizhattoor, Perinthalmanna