The miserable situation and status of women in houses is well known. When we talk about women rights in work place, we totally forget that a huge number of women are working at household level, which is a form of unpaid labor. Women are responsible for maintaining the household chores and raising the children as well. Women are responsible much more likely to be the ones who care for sick or elderly family members too.
Susan L. Taylor says, “Women work overtime, do double triple duty, juggle ten balls at once -- children, careers, husbands, schoolwork, housework, church work, and more work -- and when one of the balls drops, we think something is wrong with us”.
Women have always done a remarkable contribution and carry a very significant role in our households. She conjures up the images of love, responsibility, and care. But despite all this, she becomes the victim of taunting phrases. Nobody accepts how much she works rather everyone asks
What she does in the house?
As soon as I hear this phrase, all my courage, powers and happiness start to vanish. I hear this sentence from many people in my house and it is not my interpretation, but it is the interpretation of the society that cannot see the woman working outside, nor provides her comfort at home, if the woman works for a living, rude behavior, coercion, arrogance and stares affect her abilities and follow her in grave.
Sadly, this is the story the sad story of every household and this phrase is spoken in every house especially when a woman works at home, she must listen to these words at all the times.
The woman hears all this silently and thinks of all her work that, I woke up early in the morning when nobody had awoken, in which my isolation and stoves heat was as scorching as these words. I made breakfast for everyone and served then helped children get ready for school then did cleaning dusting of home quiet this work is not over, it was time for meals to cook, along with the service of older elders, also waiting for the arrival of children.
The kids came I gave them lunch as well as collect their stuff then in evening at tea time were waiting for the children’s father as well as dinner preparation started included guest arrivals and food arrangements for them, the services of the guests continued and lasted till late night when they all ate, I washed the dishes again and I do not even remember how many times washed in the day. After that, I lulled the kids to sleep and was ironing their uniforms at night it was around 12 o’clock throughout the waist was breaking from the pain and the thinking moistened my eyes that what she does in the house? With weeping eyes, I did not know when I slept and at 6 o’clock in the morning alarm started to ring and it was the beginning of a tiring day.
Why later, listening to this phrase I thought that every office has day off, I don’t have a 9am to 5pm job, I have a job when I open my eyes till I close my eyes, I don't have any holiday I do not have any weekend and even after doing all this when I hear that what she does in the house? I'm broken inside this phrase exclusively hurts me and my courage has moribund and my happiness is going to break in my heart because I am not a machine; I'm a living person who has the passion of joy and grief. I also need courage, need a rest, Need help.
In this article I described the situation of a woman's heart. According to my survey a woman spends 16 to 20 hours a day for household works but does not complain. Even with listening these harmful taunting words, she does not ignore fulfilling her responsibilities. It is a small phrase, what she does in the house? But it is enough to vague the gloss of life. What a woman does is something that nobody understands. We need to realize and understand the importance of truth. Consequently, for God sake think before you act, that your thoughts and bitter behavior will ruin life, and this is a kind of mental violence. On the other hand, good words will fill life with happiness. Change is required and should start from now on. Do well and ignite warmth and passion in relationships with good morality.
(The writer is working at the Poverty Alleviation Fund, Islamabad)