The conception, which undermines the value housewives, must change: Supreme Court

New Delhi, January 6, 2021: The Supreme Court of India has underlined a fact– “the works of women living at home is as crucial as the work of their husband’s office”– during the hearing of a motor vehicle accident case on Tuesday. It asserted that the perception of ‘women living at home does not work or do not provide any financial assistance is a dishonorable conception’ and needs to be changed. Stating this, the Supreme Court increased the amount of compensation to the relatives of a couple who lost their lives in a car accident. The income of the deceased woman, in this case, was underestimated because she was a housewife.

A three-judge bench headed by Justice NV Raman stated that it is difficult to determine the economic value for housewives’ hard work and labor, but it is essential. Justice Raman told that according to the 2011 census, around 16 crore women in India take care of their household matters. A recent report by the Ministry of Statistics and Program implementation shows that, on average, women do household chores for 299 minutes every day, for which they do not get paid. In contrast, men only dedicate 97 minutes a day for household chores.

Justice Raman said, “Women cook, buy rations, clean the house, take care of the furnishings, maintenance, and take care of children and elders. Despite all this, the thinking that homemakers do not work and do not provide financial help is wrong. It is time to get out of this thinking that has been going on for years.”

The bench ordered compensation of 33.2 lakhs to the family of victims. Earlier, the Delhi High Court had fixed Rs 22 lakh for the compensation. The Supreme Court said that the courts should also consider the indirect economic contribution of women living at home while giving orders. Their work plays a vital role in the financial condition, which needs to be recognised.