They often term it as their selfless love towards their family and this is the reason why a housewife’s job can never be compared with anything. However, Kamal Haasan’s party, Makkal Needhi Maiam, promised salaries to housewives as a part of its electoral campaign in Tamil Nadu and the idea was welcomed by Shashi Tharoor, who tweeted that this will “monetise the services of women homemakers in society and enhance their power.”

In
the time and age when homemakers spend their maximum time in household
chores including cleaning, tidying, cooking, and managing children,
there is no harm in giving them dues, say women of New India.

“It’s
a very vital move towards recognition of women’s contributions to society. A
homemaker is one who balances the world for the family  so why not she
being paid for it? When I left my full time job to take care of my kids , then
I started helping my husband in writing his letters, drafts and his
presentation too- and he gave me my share of remuneration. Apart from that I
keep doing my freelance work in which I could pick up and choose what works for
our family as I was mostly home .It’s a win win situation for both of us,”
Shahnaaz Khan , Freelance Journalist and fashion blogger told Opoyi.

Sharing
her story of how not earning after her marriage made her life unbearable, hair
and make-up artist Anita Deshmukh says it resulted into end of her marriage.

“I
was a freelancing PR person when I got married so right after the marriage, I
took a break from work because I have been working from my college days but
suddenly I saw there was no respect from my husband nor my in-laws because I
wasn’t bringing in money. During that time, I had a maid and a cook but my
mother-in-law wanted me to do everything since I was home all day,” she got
emotional while sharing her story with us.

She
further said that her husband “stopped touching” her because she was
financially not helping and added that he didn’t understand that “I was working
as a full time homemaker now.”

Sarwari
D’Souza, a Hindu girl who had a love marriage in a Catholic
family, narrates her story too. 

“My daily routine starts at 5 in the morning as my husband has to go to work at
7. I prepare breakfast, clean up , laundry and then lunch for my in-laws
followed by dinner. I want to pursue my passion for handcrafts but I just
don’t get time and nobody even cares to ask about our liking or disliking
so what are we getting in return for all the love?” she asks.

It
is said that India’s 160 million homemakers spend 297 minutes a day doing
domestic work, compared to 31 minutes by men so you know how exhausting it must
be for women to keep up the pace every day.

Divya
Joshi, a senior PR Professional, too believes that there should be a law of
fixing salaries for housewives.

“I’m
in favour of it and certainly support the fact that women should be paid for
the immense contribution they make not just in a day or an hour, but every
single second. The efforts we women put at home by doing numerous chores isn’t
even considered as work and as per the Indian society womenfolk are bound to do
all such errands as that’s how the system is and hence accepted like that.

“Even
today people feel and say ‘ ghar main kaam hi kya hota hai, sara din free hi to
hata hai’. Men working in the house is help and women have no choice as they
are destined to do it. I strongly believe that our work will be valued a lot
more if we get paid for it, the payment method/medium could be any,” she told
Opoyi.

A
young student, who is also planning to marry soon, says that she came across
many profiles who wanted a ‘fair, beautiful, young bride who can take care of
their family.’

“I
mean why would a girl take care of their happiness. You know my matrimonial
profile states that I want to work even after marriage but I have received many
calls who don’t agree with my belief and simply rejects me for being so career
orientated, ” she said with a request to not mention her name.

Whatever
the conclusion will be, it won’t be wrong to say that there are still many
women who are not in agreement with the idea of their love to be counted in money.