Tamanna S Mehdi By Express News Service HYDERABAD: A video of an orthopaedic surgeon kneading dough was enthusiastically shared by his wife on a WhatsApp group recently. Soon, it was followed by another wife who shared a picture of her businessman husband making rotis. Not to be outdone, another picture of a husband loading the laundry, and then of another man mopping the floor of his house, followed by yet another video of a man doing the dishes… and so it went on. Each picture/video was enthusiastically cheered on, with congratulatory messages flooding in for both the men and for the women, who could make their husbands “do the work”. Wondering what the big deal is? Well, it is. Housework, especially in India, is still widely considered as a woman’s work. Women disproportionately handle activities like washing clothes and dishes, cleaning the house and looking after children and older people. Also with the household help away in this lockdown, the burden of housework has doubled for most women. However, most men, across all socio-economic strata are picking up a mop, doing laundry and taking on more household responsibilities while they are staying home because of the Coronavirus pandemic. Afroze Ali, who lives with her husband, three sons, and in-laws in a villa in Krishnar Reddypet says, “My husband has stepped up and is sharing the chores. He has been cleaning the backyard and raking up leaves in the garden. He is also doing the weekly grocery shopping.” Sita works as a housemaid. Her husband, Jeevan is a daily wager at a local eatery. With the eating joint closed, so is the additional income he brought in. However, Sita is not complaining. She shares, “Even though money is tight, he is doing almost all the housework — from cooking, cleaning, washing and looking after the children — which he never did before.” She adds, “Even though we are all scared about getting Corona, I am happy, my husband is looking after our home, while I clean others’ homes.” A journalist working with a leading newspaper in the city commented, “My husband is following the Keto diet. With the cook and maids on leave, he is now preparing his own meals daily.” On Instagram, actor Karanvir Bohra wrote: “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. He also shared a photograph in which he is seen holding a broom in his hand. “Leading by example, cleaning and feeding babies. When Teejay (Karanvir’s wife) does other chores, I share the workload during these times of quarantine,” he posted. Share the load, dude A recent survey conducted by Ariel India revealed a startling truth – 71 per cent of women in India sleep lesser than their husbands due to household chores. They launched a movie across social media platforms, seeking to highlight the impact of the unequal division of chores. The film is depicted from the eyes of a little girl devoid of any conditioning, who notices her mom is missing at night while she is asleep and continues to notice her running around doing multiple things, tired and sleepy. The father’s moment of realization is also in a way, driven by the daughter missing her mom at night. 71% Women in India sleep lesser than their husbands due to household chores!

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