In the midst of a worldwide emergency, the coronavirus lockdown has left many families scrambling to balance work and child care. We live in a society where women still do most of the domestic tasks.
It is no surprise when a mom, an IFORHER community member, shared with us her ordeal.
“I feel like I have five jobs: Mom, Teacher, Program Manager, Maid, Cook.”
She has been exhausted working long hours at home during this lockdown.
With the whole family home all day, people talking loudly on conference calls, kids fighting, and maids on holidays, many moms are so over-burdened. They are stretched thin and don’t have enough support from family members.
In the middle of such an epidemic Karanvir Bohra, a TV actor, has a request for all the husbands that we feel is an urgent need of the hour.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Karanvir took to social media to urge men to support their overburdened wives in chores. He requested husbands to help their wives in cleaning up the house and doing other household works.
Leading by example, he shared a picture in which he could be seen holding a broom in his hand. He wrote on Instagram on Monday:
“With schools shut, and with no hired help for a lot of people during these times, it would be great if the men help the women out at home. Leading by example, cleaning and feeding babies. When Teejay (Karanvir”s wife) does other chores, I share the work load during these times of quarantine,”
While this post might have made you laugh, but it is a reminder to all of us to kick away the patriarchal mindset. The mindset that expects women to do all the household work – from home to kids to family.
At IFORHER, we admire Karanvir for coming forward to share such a heartwarming message with all the husbands during these testing times.
It is heartbreaking to see how our society raises its women with an unreasonable expectation of managing all the household activities alone. It is shameful how she is held guilty of not being a good wife or a good mother if she asks for support to do household activities.
It is high time that society and family should stop shaming women and start raising boys who understand the importance of shouldering household responsibilities equally.
P.S. If you have been supported by your husband and kids in the household work during this tough time, do send across your story at shareyourstory@iforher.com.
