My wife does nothing at all" dismissed a husband even as he nonchalantly listed that she cooks for them, drops and picks up their children from school and cleans the house. This response echoes the thankless attitude of many.
Empirical data suggest that less than one-third of men participate in domestic chores whereas three-fourths of women do all the drudgery. It is because of their efforts that the wheels of the economy function. Yet their work is not respected. It can be said that homemakers provide a form of the labour force that is unpaid and not valued.
Therefore many proposed the idea of paying homemakers a salary. But this has not been implemented anywhere in the world. This may be because paying homemakers is a debatable issue.
Some economists suggest that homemakers must be paid since they improve the productivity of the economy by looking after those who work in it Staunch supporters of the policy say paying housewives is the best way to recognize their efforts.
At the same time, many also believe paying housewives may entrench social norms that confine women inside the house and reduce their participation in the labour force. Another problem with this policy is who will pay? If husbands pay their wives for looking after the house, the patriarchal notion of men being the sole breadwinners will get fostered. Government cannot afford to pay either because the expenditure and fiscal deficit are high.
Moreover, the idea of paying housewives is fundamentally flawed because a homemaker's caregiving effort cannot be monetized.
Thus the best policy would be one that encourages greater participation from men in doing domestic chores.
WIB Member
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