The constant barrage of “Bahu, breakfast bana do”, “Mera towel kahan hai”, “Mummy, homework mein help kar do”, “Deliver the PPT before tomorrow’s meeting” and so on is common in a working desi woman’s life. Traditional roles of women require them to be present everywhere all the time. Women continue to bear a heavier burden when it comes to balancing work and family, despite progress in recent decades.
TC46 put out a post on Instagram here asking our followers what their opinions are about, “Even if both partners are working 9-5, women are expected to manage the house, the kids, the food after their full-time jobs”. And, here’s what they had to say! “This is absolutely heartbreaking but true. I had to change my job from full-time to part-time because I was not able to manage it all.
As the director of my own venture, my working hours are all over the place. I usually have to travel but the lockdown put a stop to it. And that gave some nosy relatives the chance to say unwanted things like “now you can finally be a real mom”, “your kids will be happy to eat your food” and more. Just utter BS!” – Nikita*
“Putting all pressure on yourself is not good. I suggest all women have a strong support system for themselves. Outsource some work. And communicate openly. Delegate work to children, this is also a good way to groom them for a better tomorrow.” – Gayatri*
“I love the time I spend in my beauty parlour, doing what I love, managing a staff of 12 and earning money with my skills. Yes, that does take a huge chunk of my weekend but that’s what my business demands. And I am happy to do it. Chahe log kuch bhi kahein.” – Vandana* “If you have a partner, who is understanding and divides the chores equally after your 9-5 hours, then everything is breezy. Mostly these expectations are from in-laws more than husbands. And of course, this varies with every house to house.” – Afza*