To see a man in the kitchen or doing the laundry while the lady of the house is busy on a work conference call isn’t uncommon these days. The role reversal and its equality is getting its due diligence in society.
MP Renuka Chowdhury
On those lines, our firebrand MP Renuka Chowdhury says, “The younger generation is probably accepting it more, and are looking at it as an opportunity to consolidate their status in the society as a couple. I was lucky that I got married and then went on to become a career-woman and my husband was the one who helped me in my transition of a housewife to a parliamentarian. He is the partner that has treated me as equal. And that’s a fact a true marriages can boast off. Treating them equally is the keyword. That means a lot of respect — of opinions, abilities, and capacities.”
“As a child, I was raised to fix my own things and would never shy away from using a hammer and a nail. A lot depends on the environment you grew up in. Men are looking beyond women’s beauty. Eventually, within two people, one discovers the other’s potential through the various roles they don creating respect for each other and that forms a solid foundation for any kind of relationship,” says Akila Chungi, potter and artist. Her Architect husband Srinadh Vennam, agrees, “In my world, women are way up there, I don’t understand the need for them to talk about equality. Thanks to them, I have a fresh perspective on many matters, and I’m constantly exploring new ways of doing things in a relationship.”
“Feminists are able to showcase their personalities without feeling oppressed or obligated. They bring more stability in a relationship because they don’t shy away from anything be it work or communication,” says Ashwini Jhabak, director Van Lavino.
Putting aside traditional family roles, the basis for equality in any relationship stems for mutual respect. “Once respect is established, the roles in the relationship can be based on the couples’ comfort, which are automatically divided equally regardless of the nature of the work,” says Parvathi Reddy, executive director, NAR Infra. Her husband, Anil Reddy, managing director NAR Infra, agrees, “I have been brought up by a single mother and seen her relentless strength and hard work to give us the best life she could with the resources she had, she gave us more than any other family I knew. Having seen such strength of a woman, I believe women are capable of many roles. It is for both the man and woman to share jobs equally and support one another.”
Gender equality in relationships doesn’t mean the romance is lost. There must not be any pre conceived notions of what a man or woman must do “Today, so many activities have become common among men and women, which was not possible in the past. It is about respecting each other equally and standing up for their self,” feels fashion designer Ishita. Archana Dalmina, founder, an event management company, adds that men want their wives to be independent. She says, “Women now are smart, competitive and can manage their house and job roles in an organised way. Husband’s support in managing the house and being respectful towards the work commitments of a woman leads to a better and blessed relationship.”
