#ShareTheLoad - A small effort to erase gender specific prejudices

This post is an activity for Blogadda and Ariel's #ShareTheLoad to reduce gender prejudices in Gen Next. 

I hope so you'll like it and do share your comments too!

"I am joining the Ariel #ShareTheLoad campaign at BlogAdda and blogging about the prejudice related to household chores being passed on to the next generation."

#ShareTheLoad

Loud cheers and noises outside made little Amu excited again to play holi with other children in her society. She went to the balcony and saw little kids playing holi.

“Mumma, mumma, where are you?” She called her mother. She found her mother working in a kitchen.

“Mumma, I want to play holi, can I go?”

“No Amu, this is the third time you went outside to play holi. Your clothes get stained, beta!”

“Mumma, I promise last time I’ll go out and play holi,” She held her mummy’s hand and insisted again.

“Beta, why don’t you understand? How many times I should wash your color-stained clothes? I have other work to do!”

“Mumma, why don’t you tell papa to wash my clothes?”

Amu’s mother doubted herself whether she listened her daughter correctly or not. She waited for a minute before responding to her.

“Naa beta, big boys don’t do washing and cleaning.” She said it plainly.

“But Mumma, our dhobiwala clean the clothes by himself. Isn't he a big boy?”

She laughed at her daughter’s question. But then she had no answer to give as she has been taught to do this since she was child.

These prejudices take birth when the girl child is born in any family. They are taught to do specific things such as cleaning, washing, cooking since they are children and that continues in their growing years.

Why we have been so typical for particular things when it comes about women? Why these work differences between male and females? And there we become speechless when we don’t have answers for our children’ questions.

Why household chores are the responsibility of women only? Ironically, I fail to understand men don’t feel shy working as a sweeper, running a laundry store, or being a chef at a five star hotel. But extending a helping hand in cooking, washing or cleaning at home challenge their self-respect or ego, why is that so?

Today’s generation is well-aware of what is right and wrong and setting up these prejudices would not budge them questioning to you. They would fight back. The day is not far when they would challenge you by saying, ‘bring that sharing is caring principle in action and not just a phrase to say’. And they aren't wrong.

You want your child to get highest education, go with latest technology and marry the best girl but wouldn't you want your child to follow equity? Or you want your child to carry the prejudice generation to generation?

Your share your panipuri plate with your partner; your share your happiness and problems with your partner and so why not share the work-load equally? Isn't the right thing to do?

Children consider their parents as their role models and right direction at the right time makes a huge difference. There will be no place for prejudices and nor for this article to write as differences wouldn't exist any-more only if we share the load!