New Delhi [India], Mar 6 : The International Women's Day is celebrated as a tribute to womanhood and the indomitable female spirit. However, there's a general tendency among people to overemphasise upon the achievements of working women - not to say it is not worthy of appreciation - but this, in many ways sidelines the valuable role homemakers play in our society.
Being a homemaker requires pure selflessness, industriousness and, sacrifices which only a few would be willing to make with their daily struggles and responsibilities.
Bina Jain, a homemaker from Gurugram, is the former president of All India Women's Conference and currently serves as the patron president of an NGO. In her younger days, she actively contributed to women's rights advocacy in India, while simultaneously juggling with her everyday duties as a stay-at-home wife and mother. Since the beginning of her marriage, Jain was faced with the monumental task of managing a large joint family.
"I always enjoyed the responsibility of caring for my family," Jain told ANI. But no one ever openly recognised her efforts. But that didn't deter her. She disapproves of the term "housewife" and suggests that women like herself should instead be called homemakers.
"I feel working women receive much more respect in comparison to women who chose to become the cornerstones of their families by forgoing their career plans," says Jain.
"It should never be forgotten that homemakers equally contribute to the society just as much as the women who go to offices or run businesses," she adds.
Bulbul Das, a 65-year-old lady from Delhi's Vasundhara Enclave, once had a booming legal practice but was compelled to give up her profession to care for her children, after her husband went abroad to work.
Apart from being a homemaker, Das is an integral member of various women's rights NGOs such as the All India Women's Conference and Ujjwal.
Currently, the former lawyer is arduously working towards furthering the cause of housewives all across India. She holds the opinion that homemakers should be remunerated for the toil they go through each day.
Das's vast legal experience and desire to bring about change has now motivated her to raise the demand for wages for such women on a public forum.
Anju Singh, a homemaker from Delhi's Patparganj area, who is in her 20s, voluntarily put a stop to her career pursuits to care for her two-year-old son. Although she doesn't regret her decision, she still feels that housewives are under as much stress -- if not more - as women who have jobs.
The young lady also says that "working women most often enjoy a vast circle of friends which also functions as their support system, but the same luxury is not available to stay-at-home wives and mothers".
Dealing with daily chores in the absence of varied human interactions sometimes gets the better of her; however, she stays strong and continues to selflessly fulfil her familial duties.
A testament to female courage and unshakable will, the story of Rashmi Nigam as a homemaker began when she was forced to leave her job as a senior teacher at a reputed public school in Delhi when her family was struck by a health crisis.
Her husband was critically ill for many years, and in absence of any support from her extended family, Nigam had to constantly tend to his needs. Unfortunately, more of her close relatives were taken down by serious health conditions and the direct responsibility to care for them landed on her shoulders. Things got worse when she was faced with a financial crisis, and to relieve the situation, she began working again for a brief period of time.
After years of hardships, things have settled as of now, majorly because of Nigam's 'never give up' attitude. According to her "housewives are much more courageous and articulate and also mentally tougher in comparison to their working peers".
However, Sushil Nigam from Old Delhi presented an alternative viewpoint. She told that "although housewives hold a special place in the society, they are eventually left alone and neglected once their kids grow up and move out".
Differing from the general perception, Nigam thinks that working women are very much capable of balancing professional and family life.
Whatever the case may be, on this Women's Day, let us not forget to salute the countless unsung heroes that are silently working towards enriching the lives of their husbands, children and society as a whole.