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| Image courtesy: Pixabay |
Decades ago, in our school and college days, the word "homemaker" wasn't very commonly used. We were more familiar with the word "housewife".
"Homemaker" was used as a formal and polite alternative to "housewife".
Recently, a judgment by the High Court of Karnataka gave the word "homemaker" a powerful, respectful, and a totally new dimension.
Before we get to that, a few dictionary definitions.
Merriam-Webster defines a homemaker as "one who manages a household especially as a spouse and parent".
The Cambridge Dictionary goes a step further adding an economic angle: a homemaker is "a person who manages a home and often raises children instead of earning money from a job".
According to Longman, especially American English, homemaker is a woman who works at home cleaning and cooking etc and does not have another job.
Oxford Learner's Dictionaries also refers to the word as an American expression, and says, "homemaker is a person who manages a home and takes care of the house and family as their main job."
Collins says, "A homemaker is someone who spends a lot of time looking after their home and family. You usually use homemaker to refer to someone who does not have a job outside the home."
Wikipedia is quite clear, It says the word is primarily a North American and Canadian term used for a housewife, househusband, or stay-at-home mom or dad who manages day-to-day domestic operations.
The word has interesting origins.
In 1861, homemaker was a man who landscaped and gardened his property. From1868, the word began to be identified with a woman who managed and took care of the home.
The underlying belief was quite clear; that a homemaker is someone, mostly a woman, who stays at home, does not earn a salary, and does not have a "professional" career.
NEW DIMENSIONS
The Karnataka High Court has given more dimensions to it.
The case pertained to motor accident compensation case dating back to 2013. A woman, who held a Master’s degree in Biotechnology and had worked as a guest lecturer, was injured in a bus accident.
Since she was not employed at the time of the accident, the transport corporation argued that because of her high educational qualifications, she could not be considered a "homemaker".
The High Court disagreed, and listed out three principles that redefine homemaking.
1. Education doesn't matter
The court ruled that every woman who cares for her family at home is a homemaker, regardless of her qualifications. Whether she holds a basic school degree, a postgraduate degree, or a doctorate, her contribution to the home remains invaluable. You do not have to be projected as uneducated to fit the role of a homemaker.
2. Professionals too can be homemakers
The court said a working professional is a homemaker as long as she renders services at home and looks after the welfare of her family. Homemaking and a professional career are not mutually exclusive — millions of people do both every single day.
3. The word is gender-neutral
Though the case pertained to a woman, a homemaker can be male or female, and the term covers working individuals, breadwinners, and wage earners alike.
LOVE AND SACRIFICE
Instead of linking the word to earnings, the Karnataka High Court connected it to what individuals bring to our lives.
The court said:
"Any individual who tirelessly strives, showers unconditional love, sacrifices personal comfort at times and ultimately becomes a pillar for a happy and stable family is a homemaker."
The ruling shifts the definition from a list of chores (like cooking, cleaning, or laundry) to emotional and structural foundation of the family.
NATION BUILDERS
In June this year, the Supreme Court called homemakers the true "nation builders". Judges said, "We are of the view that the housewife contributes to the growth of the human being and the nation.”
The apex court went on to even say that unpaid domestic work performed by homemakers must be valued at a minimum of ₹30,000 per month under a separate head for "domestic care" when calculating compensation for road accident deaths.
