RECOGNITION TO WOMAN HOUSEHOLD WORKS

DC DEBATE: RECOGNITION TO WOMAN HOUSEHOLD WORKS

DC discusses the Supreme Court ruling on fixing a monetary value for the work done by housewives

• Hyderabad: DC discusses the recent Supreme Court ruling on fixing a monetary value for the work done by housewives :

Judgement is an eye-opener: 

• Today, marrying a homemaker is often considered a liability. But the recent judgement of the Honourable Supreme Court, in the context of a motor vehicle accident claims case lauding the services of a homemaker to her family and concluding that they cannot be valued in terms of money has come as an eye-opener.
• The masterpiece judgement, delivered by Honourable Justice Bhanumathi, held that “ . . . . We often forget that the time spent by women in doing household work as homemakers is the time which they can devote to paid work or to their education. This lack of sensitivity and recognition of their work mainly contributes to women’s high rate of poverty and their consequential oppression in society, as well as various physical, social and psychological problems.”
• These observations formed the basis for enhancement of compensation to the family, which lost its homemaker in a tragic road accident. Can we as a society be pleased with this concept being confined to cases of motor vehicle accident claims, where the quantum of compensation for the deceased homemaker is being decided? Should we not do some introspection and accept that this concept should be extended to a woman when she is alive and serving every member of the family? Or should we agree to the posthumous recognition of services of women to her family and accept the compensation, which again is her posthumous service to her family!
• Often we come across cases, where the husband nags his wife claiming that she is not earning or contributing towards the expenses of the family. This is one of the most common reasons for NRI husbands to send their wives back to their parents’ homes and eventually seek severance of marital ties.
• A lot of emphasis is laid on women’s empowerment. The empowerment envisaged is aimed at giving economic independence to women. But the time has come to work towards restoration of dignity and financial security of women in general, and in particular to those who dedicate their lives to service of their families. The agony of such women, who are sometimes forced to knock on the doors of courts for their sustenance cannot be described in words. This situation is definitely attributable to the insensitivity of society towards the existence and needs of such women.
• Laws in our country do not give married women any right except maintenance, which includes shelter. Much hope and expectations were awakened by the enactment of Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act. In reality, the Act is giving little to women.
• The judgement of the Apex Court, affording protection to the properties of in-laws from residence orders, may be right in cases where such protection was given in the circumstances of the case. But its application universally is affecting the rights of many women, even in arranged marriages, where the very same in-laws participate at every stage of the marriage from selection of the bride for their son to making demands for and receiving dowries.
• Laws and judgements essentially reflect the state of affairs in the society. But this one judgement is definitely an eye opener for a society, which has placed material needs above human values. S. Vani, Supreme Court advocate.

Acknowledge women’s work:

• In many societies, including in India, women’s work within the families, variously known as “domestic work”, “reproductive labour”, “care work” and “emotional labour” is completely invisible and unremunerated. Over the years, efforts have been made to…