'Gender Equality must become a lived reality.'- Michelle Bachelet.
In the context of the aforementioned quote aiming to achieve idealism of gender equality, it can be said that no country in the world can yet say that they have achieved gender equality. But with the changing society, the connotations of gender equality have started to root in society. Read on to see an example of that very change.
Gurugram-based Udit Saini and his wife decided to have a baby but they were worried about how they would tackle their kid's growing-up years. Among their friends, very few took work off to take care of their children and the repercussions of that on the children were low confidence, digital addiction, and social disconnection to mention a few. The maids who are entrusted with the task of caring for the child have been accused in various scenarios of physically abusing the kids.
So as to give a good future and overall growth to their kids, Udit Saini left his job to take care of the baby. Many other husbands are happily giving up their professional careers to take care of household work and kids. This incident highlights redefining gender roles in India.
Challenges faced by Stay Home Dads
- The stay-home dads have to face societal pressure and generally face some awkward situations whenever people start a conversation with them about how is their work going. The stereotypes of society are also desisting on the process of changing gender roles.
- Schools are reluctant in addressing the fact that the father is unemployed, they wouldn't even consider even if the mother earns however much. It is a story with almost all the academic institutions. Hence, in the admission of the child, the patriarchal society doesn't accept easily an unemployed father.
- Getting property on rent or purchasing a property for that matter can be a problem if the father isn't earning. Parenting groups in residential societies are mother-dominated when it should maintain consonance with stay-home dads.
Need of Re-defining the gender roles
- The kids will also be nurtured with the idea that there is no dominance of a particular gender.
- The chance of becoming a primary parent gives the fathers an opportunity to explore their talents of cooking, dancing, and cleaning the house which is otherwise considered to be a part of the mother's duty.
- The families will have a right to choose their desired roles.
Need for Gender Equality
- To enable the complete participation of women in society.
- The GDP of the country can rise further when there will be a hike in the female-labor participation rate.
- It is also important for the economic empowerment of women making them independent in life. Better standards of life extended to her along with the right to equality.
- This would lessen the cases of social and economic violence.
- Political participation of women would also increase.
- The traditional attitudes of women at home should now be imagined beyond the myopic view of a normal human being.
- This would further grant them social security.
- Crimes such as rapes, dowry deaths, etc. shall be subsided then.
- The change in the pattern of ingrained parental preference for sons. Hence, it is the change in the patriarchal mindset only that would serve gender dynamics.
- Representation of women in public spheres is again going to be a healthy outcome.
- They can serve as role models and raise educational career aspirations for the girls of the coming generations.
- This would help in the attitudinal shift too where the woman and men would see themselves on parity in the society.
- This would ensure better vocational and technical training thus securing opportunities for employment for them.
Way Forward
The family and the societal support would help to gear up the change. Education can serve as a bridge to fill the gender gap. As far as the case of stay-home dads is concerned, this opportunity can explore new prospects for bonding between a father and a child. And yes, everything has it's pros and cons... still the decision to be one can have an economical or financial basis but the objective should always be to support the family together. The establishment of synchronization within the different gender roles can make society a better place to live in. I would like to take my readers toward the conclusion of the article with the statement coming from Emma Watson, that is,
'It is time that we all see gender as a spectrum instead of two sets of opposing ideals.'
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