Homemaker vs Working woman

 Somewhere I read that , "Women are not born , they are made" . What will they wear, what toys  will they play with, where will they go , what should they do when they grow up all things are predecided  for them . That's why this line is not suprising.

 There is a story I vividly remember from school. During a class I casually asked all the students what they want to pursue after college. Almost everyone answered the question . There were several voices that said doctor , teacher and other professions that are considered valuable and respectable in the eyes of society. But then there was  one girl said  ma'am we don't know what we  will become, but if we are not able to do anything , we definitely become a housewife. I have also heard people say that if you decide to be a housewife, you're not utilising any of the skills you learned in your degree. 

You know what I found the most surprising in this , if a woman is unsuccessful then she is a homemaker. Is being a homemaker is the sign of failure?

Be it a working woman or a homemaker, the daily duties seem to be never ending for females -from  taking care of kitchen, children, elderly to their indivisual goals. 

There are about 160 million women in India who are occupied as homemakers .On average a woman spends 297minutes daily engaged   in households chores (data from NSSO). Still a homemaker job is not a profession.  Working in a firm is really stressful as you have a lot of  expectations but that doesn't mean being a homemaker is easy . Managing a household means a thousand chores and a thousand responsibilities.

A survey conducted by  Researchgate says , at work you tend to be practical and take opinion about solving probs  . While  working they experience financial independence , high self esteem. But it is an upside down episode when you stay at home   . Society thinks as if it is her duty then why should there be any appreciation or rewards . No one appreciated it ,here ,there is a lot of dissatisfaction and they have their own sets of issues.

In today's day and age , being a homemaker is frowned upon. Certain homemakers also fall prey to social shaming   . Let me share a narration taken from Indusladies , " I'm a homemaker with two kids . I was  a software professional for many years before . But I left all that for my family  . I met an old friend and told her about my decision . She  was shocked?????!!! She said...but....whats your identity now.....a housewife..???".  Well , just going out there and making money does'nt make a woman independent and strong . Staying home and keeping the family bond intact is something as normal as being a working woman.

Being empowering isn't necessarily something that has to solely be linked to career. When a woman aspires to be a better cook , mother or wife , she is also ambitious. Honestly speaking , running a household also requires tremendous skill such as time management , efficient organisation , delegation and planning. Another common misconception people have about homemakers is that they have to stay locked up at home ? Well, it's not a punishment . They can still hang out with their friends or pursue a passion. 

Whether a woman wants to stay home or go to work  it is her personal  choice . A woman can choose to have a career , woman can choose to be a homemaker .It is all about her's choice and how she wish to lead her life. So constantly judging a woman who has decided to be a homemaker is in fact being narrow- minded. It's high time we realise, housewife is not a bad word . There are even feminists and womanists who debate the role of a housewife in modern society.

Go out there and conquer your life in an apron , a business suit or however you 'd like . Live it the way you want and listen to nobody,especially the naysayers.