How Long Should Women Bear The Responsibility Of Caregiving Solely On Their Shoulders?

Caregiving should be a shared responsibility and not the default duty of women. Because caregivers need support too. #WomenOnTheMove

The amendment to the Maternity Bill, that has now been increased to 26 weeks, was received with much fanfare. It was a welcome move. However, contrary to popular perception caregiving does not only comprise of childcare; it includes crucial forms of other care too – care for the terminally ill, disabled and the elderly.

Elder care in India is massively understated and uncared for. Elder care demands daily care, weekly medical supervision, sometimes treatments and consistent close attention. But the lack of a sustainable leave policy makes it difficult for many people to care for their aging parents. Also, lack of institutional support forces many to hire private nurses and caregivers to help them with the daily care. But hiring private caregivers is an expensive affair; hence, many take up the responsibility themselves, sometimes at the cost of giving up their jobs.

(If you’re not yet following Women’s Web on Twitter, do now, and you can come over for the chat too, every Wednesday 6-7PM IST).

Caregiving in India is synonymous to ‘a woman’s responsibility’ — Why?

@womensweb It is due to this society’s perception that women are born to care for others!!!Her opinion isn’t asked for!!! #WomenOnTheMove

— Sadhuvi (@sadhuvi81) August 30, 2017

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Caregiving can be stressful. Why does no one care about the caregiver?

Woman is perhaps the Super Lady who has to manage home, work and everything. She is bounded to care without being cared for

— Manpreet Kaur (@Manpreet__Kaur) August 30, 2017

After marriage, husband’s parents become a wife’s responsibility but that doesn’t cease his duties towards them

Whom are we kidding with shared responsibilities? Have the men been ever taught to do anything around at home? #Womenonthemove

— Anamika Agnihotri (@AnAgnihotri) August 30, 2017

If a woman has a caregiving duty towards her in-laws, why is the converse overlooked?

@womensweb If a DIL is expected to take care of Inlaws when they aren’t well Why we don’t expect the same from a Son in law #WomenOnTheMove

— Sadhuvi (@sadhuvi81) August 30, 2017

Women too often feel they have greater responsibility towards their in-laws than their parents

All of us have, sometimes even parents of girls feel that we owe all time and allegiance to our married families & not them #WomenOnTheMove

— Pooja Sharma Rao (@SoulVersified) August 30, 2017

Women are NOT super humans; nurturing abilities are present both in men and women

Can you please bust the myth that women are natural caregivers, and are supposed to always take care of others and the home. #WomenOnTheMove

— Yeshna Dindoyal (@_Yeshna) August 30, 2017

Society has glorified women as epitome of compassion….so cannot express negative feelings or fatigue…get labelled as mean and selfish

— Scienceandsamosa (@ScienceSamosa) August 30, 2017

Women more often than not sacrifice personal aspirations for caregiving

Left my job to take care of my grandmom who’d fractured her hip bone. #WomenOnTheMove

— rashi mital (@Rashi_AMital) August 30, 2017

@womensweb My friend’s mother resigned her job to take care of Inlaws but my friend’s father didn’t even take needed leave! #WomenOnTheMove

— Sadhuvi (@sadhuvi81) August 30, 2017

At times at the cost of their own health

I looked after my dad who passed away 2yrs ago & now a long distance caregiver for my mother, with parenting,work & chronicillness of my own

— Pooja Sharma Rao (@SoulVersified) August 30, 2017

Sometimes even more…

https://t.co/TqL5UgOaEz of my frns mother left her family to support her aging parents.She even left her kids to be with her ailing mother.

— Shipra Trivedi (@trivediship) August 30, 2017

It is time we chuck the cliches and raise our children right!

again cliches children can be taught equal rights and duties if the parents raise them right. #WomenOnTheMove

— Pooja Sharma Rao (@SoulVersified) August 30, 2017

Share the load between sons and daughters, wife and husbands #WomenOnTheMove

— Yeshna Dindoyal (@_Yeshna) August 30, 2017

Image: Pixabay

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