Radhika Apte Sparks Conversation On Women's Sacrifices And Division Of Labour

Recently, actor Radhika Apte talked about the extra responsibilities her mother had as compared to her father despite both of them being working parents. Her comment left the internet divided on whether such responsibilities are a division of labour or a patriarchal mindset that assigns women more duties.

During an interview, Radhika Apte mentioned that both her parents were doctors, her mother is an anaesthetist and CEO of a hospital and her father is a neurosurgeon and chairman. While her mother knew how to cook, her father didn't and though both of them could have chosen not to do the cooking, her mother decided to cook for everyone.

Radhika Apte On Sacrifices Of Women

Apte spoke about how women, despite knowing that they can, don't choose to set boundaries because they have assumed it to be their responsibility to take care of the family or be natural nurturers. They are still afraid of drawing boundaries because society has glorified the self-sacrifice of women. Her video is going viral on the internet and has once again divided the internet into two.

The issue Radhika Apte ">talked about is one of the most discussed when it comes to the condition and treatment of women in India. From a very young age, girls are taught to be sensitive and caring. They are raised to be caretakers and taught skills that will help them to take care of their families in future. Moreover, young girls grow up watching their mothers, grandmothers and aunts taking care of the entire family while they themselves don't have anybody to look after them.

When a child watches women around her constantly and daily making little or big sacrifices such as giving up food for others, staying home cleaning up after a family dinner or looking after every little thing for others despite it not being their responsibility, somehow they assume that it is how they will lead their life.

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Even when a woman is raised to be aware of her gender-based division of labour and its drawbacks, she believes that as long as she is single. Often, women give in to the patriarchal division of labour after marriage just because it seems common and normal. It might be that they are tired of constantly going against society but they do like the idea of making sacrifices for their children and family.

Even movies glorify the sacrifices a woman makes for her family and hails the female lead for doing so. Women are compared to God for their ability to give life and nurture it and people ignore the cost that women pay by constantly putting family above themselves. However, these ideas just define the patriarchal duties of a woman while men are exempted from such duties.

While the division of labour is a good thing in family and relationships, it is appropriate when it is a mutual decision of men and women in the family and there is no extra burden on anyone. If a man wants to cook for the family, he should take that responsibility, if a woman does not want to, she should not.

It is true that men generally take the out-of-the-home duties while women take at-home duties and that is wrong if it is not a mutual decision or choice. Responsibilities should be interchangeable and women should not be assumed to take up household responsibilities along with their personal life when men only have the burden of their work. Women, too, should not wait for someone else to take a stand for them and should understand that they have a life too and they don't need to make sacrifices to be a good woman.

Views expressed are the author's own.