Domestic Disparity

• This problem has been recognized by both the Tamil Nadu government and the Madras High Court. The Tamil Nadu government recently started a program called the Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai Thittam.
• It gives women Rs. 1,000 per month to appreciate the unpaid work they do at home. This work could be cooking, cleaning, shopping, taking care of kids, or looking after sick or elderly family members.
• Also, the Madras High Court ruled that women should get an equal share in the properties bought by their husbands. Why? Because while wives take care of the house and the kids, husbands can focus on their jobs and earn money. So, in a way, wives help husbands to do their work outside the home.
• These long hours of housework prevent many women from having jobs outside their homes. Over the past 20 years, fewer and fewer women in India have been going to work, even though more and more women are getting educated.
• It’s like wanting to play in the school basketball team but being too busy with homework to practice. The result? More work at home means less time to do other things, like having a job, just like more homework means less time for basketball practice!
• These recent actions from the Tamil Nadu government and the Madras High Court are like your teacher finally noticing that your homework load is not fair compared to your friend’s. They are important steps in helping to balance the workload at home. They recognize and appreciate the hard work women do at home, which is often overlooked.
• It’s a beginning, but there’s still a long way to go to make sure that the chores are shared equally between men and women, so that both can have time for other things, like work, hobbies, and rest. Just like it would be fairer if you and your friend spent the same time on your school projects.