Our society holds only girls and women responsible for all household work. Sadly, many of us don’t even expect the men in the house to contribute.
And this happens because our society attempts to shield the boys from any household chores since childhood. While we see the girls being forced to learn cooking, cleaning, ironing and much more; we expect boys to play, watch TV and “order” their sisters for anything they need.
Breeding this kind of behavior leads to the challenges we see in today’s society – Inequality between men and women, professional sacrifices expected of only mothers, and at times even domestic abuse when the husband does not get what he wants.
There is a strong need to change this behavior. And, a school in Spain has come up with a unique program to overcome it.
Colegio Montecastelo institute, located in Vigo town of North-western Spain, has introduced a course on “Home Economics”.
This course includes basic training on ironing clothes, cooking basic meals, cleaning utensils & house, and much more.
“Así planchaba que yo lo vi”. Montecastelo pone en marcha las “Home Skills” como actividad complementaria en secundaria. Bricolaje, planchado, cocina y lavado, entre otras, están impartidas por profesores y padres del colegio vigués. pic.twitter.com/Y8AWUjnOkA
— Colegio Montecastelo (@CMontecastelo) October 10, 2018
What’s more interesting is that the course instructors are not only the teaching staff but also some of the fathers of these same students. This had led a much broader acceptance and real-life inspiration for the students.
Despite some of the initial resistance by students, the home economic lessons have grown to be a success.
Many of the young boys are discovering that they could easily do the so-called “girly” things, which they thought were difficult for them.
The initiative has been appreciated from all corners of the society, with some of the parents sharing their happiness after testing the boys at home for their newly acquired skill.
We at IForHer believe the initiative is extremely valuable and useful. With this course, young boys will not just be able to learn the skills that will be useful as adults, but it’ll also help shape their minds about respecting women and treating them as equals.
There is a strong need to replicate this course in our country. Do let us know your thoughts here.
