Justice Krishnan Ramasamy of the Madras High Court addressed the domestic labour of women and ruled that a woman who spent her life looking after the family shall have an equal share in the property and assets. This is a historic judgement highlighting the valuable contribution of women who are considered as just ‘sitting at home’ with no income source. It was a domestic dispute case in which a husband filed a case against his wife claiming ownership over all the properties and assets citing the reason that it was he who bought them. The judge, in his heartwarming judgement, stated that the contribution made by the husband by earning and the wife by taking care of his family along with children make them entitled equally to their earnings.
They have made a joint effort in earning the assets and it is not possible for the husband to go out and earn money if his wife hadn’t sacrificed her career and life to take care of the children and elders in the family. The judge further mentioned that a housewife performs duties without taking breaks on festivals or Sundays. She has no vacation or fixed timings. She plays the roles of “a chef, manager, “home doctor,” and “home economist”. He said that the wife had tremendously contributed to the acquisition of family wealth by performing household chores for decades. “And moreover, she sacrificed her dreams and spent her entire life towards the family and children,” he put forth in his judgement.
The judgement received huge applause from the public as it recognised the unpaid domestic labour of women. Her sweat finally received value with Justice Ramasamy’s verdict. “It is a very significant ruling because it recognizes the contribution of women through unpaid domestic labour and converts it into a share of the husband’s property,” Flavia Agnes, a women’s rights lawyer, said in an interview.
Compensation to the Road Accident Victims:
Earlier, in different instances, when women lost their lives to road accidents, Indian courts have declared compensation to their dependents. Since 1968, there were close to around 200 such cases in which judges awarded compensation to the dependents of homemakers by assigning a value to the domestic work done by them. Recently, the Kerala High Court ruled that the compensation amount cannot be reduced on the grounds that the accident victim is a homemaker who does not earn an income. Justice Devan Ramachandran noted in his verdict that the injury caused to a homemaker should be measured on the same criteria as that of a working woman. The court further said that the roles of a mother and wife are invaluable. It mentioned that they are the true nation builders. “Do not brush aside their efforts as being without monetary value. The worth of human lives is never measured on monetary value alone, but instead by their selflessness and contributions” – it said.
The judgement came in the case of Kalukutty, a resident of Palakkad. She was terribly injured when she slipped off her seat on a KSRTC bus due to reckless and rash driving. The accident happened on August 24, 2006, and the woman was bedridden for quite a long time. A compensation of Rs 2 lakh was sought but the Irinjalakuda Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal awarded just Rs 40,214. The petitioner thus approached the High Court to seek justice. On the other hand, the KSRTC claimed that the petitioner is just a homemaker without any income. Thus, it said that there’s no point in sanctioning a big sum as compensation. The court has considered this claim of KSRTC to be ignorant and insensitive. It stated that the mother and wife invest their time in the family to bring up the next generation. It raised the compensation amount to Rs 1.64 lakh and ordered it to give it along with an annual interest of 7.5 per cent.
It is common for Motor Accident Claims Tribunals that they award compensation based on the occupation of the person killed or injured in an accident. A hefty amount, usually summing up to lakhs or even crores of rupees sometimes, is sanctioned to the kin of the dead person or to the person injured in the case of victims holding a big job. On the contrary, if the victim is a homemaker or a jobless or a retired person, a measly sum is paid to them. From now on, based on the judgements given by the courts in various instances, the compensation paid to the homemakers shall be rethought twice before handing it over.
What Comes to Mind When Someone Thinks of Unpaid Domestic Labour of Women?
Waking up early in the morning – making themselves a cup of coffee – sitting and sipping it in the lawn or balcony before heading to the kitchen – sweat for two hours in the kitchen preparing the breakfast, lunch and snacks for children and office goers of the family – watch TV serials once everyone’s gone to work – have lunch and take a nap – gossip with neighbours and friends- go shopping quite often- work for two hours in the evening to arrange dinner – go back to sleep. This is the routine that people assume when they think of a homemaker. There’s a washing machine to wash the clothes, a dishwasher to do the dishes, a robot to clean the house and what else is left for her to do? Sorry. A washing machine doesn’t wash, dry, iron, fold and arrange the clothes in the cupboards, a dishwasher doesn’t take the dishes as they are without prior cleaning. And if you think a homemaker’s job is just cooking and cleaning, we pity you.
As per the reports, Indian women spend an average of 351.9 minutes/day on unpaid work in a day. This is very high compared to an average of 51.8 minutes/day spent by men. One of the supreme roles of a homemaker is childcare and education. They devote several hours to nurturing and raising their children. It is the homemakers who provide love, guidance and support to their children’s overall development. They do the feeding, bathing, dressing, helping with homework and engaging them in stimulating play. They are the ones to often coordinate and attend school meetings, and take part in children’s school activities and events. They ensure that their children’s educational and emotional needs are fulfilled. That means homemakers are investing their time and energy in shaping the next generation. Can this be compared to any other job that gets a huge annual package?
The domestic labour of women is an array of activities to maintain order and absolute functionality at home. Right from meal planning and preparation, and grocery shopping to managing household finances, they work meticulously in running the household with the monthly income they receive from the job doers of the family. Their effectiveness in budget planning helps pay the bills along with setting aside some crucial savings. They organise family events, prepare family schedules, and social engagements and coordinate multiple segments to bring about a well-established family routine. Their ability to maintain a healthy and harmonious home environment can never be in comparison to any of the highly held administrative posts in government.
Homemakers are into the continuous cycle of household chores ranging from dusting, vacuuming, mopping, and washing dishes to doing the laundry. All these are critical to maintaining a hygienic and positive home environment. The effort that goes into these activities is beyond any regular job. Moreover, a regular job has a break over the weekend but a homemaker’s work never gets a break but doubles up over the weekends and holidays instead.
When we talk about the immense emotional support that homemakers provide, we fall short of language to express ourselves. They exhibit an incredible amount of patience and lend their ear to each and everyone in the family. They provide advice and solutions based on the situation, acting as the pillars of strength and promoters of positive mental health to the family members. Alongside the physical hard work they do, the kind of emotional labour they undertake to manage the intricacies of familial relationships, mediate conflicts and to foster open communication is immense. Undoubtedly, the overall happiness and cohesion of a family is the product of their ability to create a secure home environment.
Are There Any Awards From the Government Yet?
I have always wondered watching the award programmes by the government or by the corporates or by various recognised bodies as to why no one has ever come up with an award for homemakers. “We cannot recognise one homemaker and let other homemakers and their sacrifices down” – sorry, such honey-filled words are not needed anymore. Recognition of the labour of a homemaker is highly appreciated as it improves the confidence of a person who has dedicated their life to home. Most of the women suffer from a severe inferiority complex that they are not financially contributing to their house and that they are worthless in speaking and advising in critical family situations.
In India, homemakers are generally women, thanks to the deep-rooted patriarchy that assigned specific roles to men and women. Homemakers are treated as ‘non-productive’ and ‘non-contributing’. Their labour and sacrifices for their family go unrecognised. In fact, they are home economists, home doctors, home managers, and home rulers. Without them, there’s no home, no next generation.
The Worst Part about Domestic Labour of Women?
Glorifying the work of a homemaker is the worst part. Giving a homemaker, the tags like superwoman, wonder woman, superpower etc will only intensify her labour. “You are the best at making tea” sounds like a compliment on the surface level but deep down, it’s just a way to delegate work to her. Such sentences keep flowing into her ears every day and every minute. Half of the Indian husbands don’t miss their wives when they are dead, they miss the comfortable life she offered them when she was alive. The patriarchal values were so deeply instilled in everyone’s mind that a homemaker feels that it is her responsibility to take care of her family and people. They are made to feel that they are doing everything for “their people out of love and it’s no hard work or sacrifice. It’s not an effort or service either”.
This kind of mindset that homemakers began to carry has been detrimental to their very identity and existence. Forcing unrealistic expectations on homemakers, not acknowledging the domestic labour of women and appreciating them for what they do for their families is the biggest problem. These bigger lies make homemakers fulfil the expectations of their people without complaining. They try to be perfect in everything for their people and do everything beyond their capability. And the result? A false token of superficial appreciation. Such appreciation in turn is to dump all the responsibilities on her and not at all a valid recognition – a symbol of a regressive mindset and nothing else.
Can Homemakers begin acknowledging the unpaid domestic labour of women?
I think homemakers should stop feeling subservient to anyone else, irrespective of whether they are recognised or not. They should learn to take pride in their abilities and skills in the first place. Homemakers should realize that just because they aren’t the direct contributors to the household economy, they are less than the earning members of the family. Not going out to earn money doesn’t make them entitled to serve the family the entire time. They should stop perceiving that whatever they do is for the sake of their family and that they can go to any extent to fulfil their desires.
It’s essential for every homemaker to take up a hobby and pursue it. A friend of mine makes sure that she goes for a walk with her friends every evening for one hour. That is her ‘me’ time and she ensures that no one snatches it away from her. While homemakers often complain about not having time to relax or take up a hobby, those who understand the need to have their space are thin on the ground. If homemakers work round the clock, it might keep their families comfortable and flourishing but it shall take a toll on their physical and mental health.
A homemaker is essential for a home to stand tall. Similarly, it takes a home to honour the sacrifices and efforts of the domestic labour of women.
