Generally, a housewife is a married woman who does not have a directly paid job. However, she looks after her home, family, and agricultural activities. Housewives play a significant role in the functioning and well-being of their families and society as a whole. The list of duties and tasks performed by housewives is huge but often unrecognized. Hence, it is very important to list the important contributions and recognized them. Here are 11 key roles and important contributions of a housewife in development.
1. Contribution of a housewife in HDI
The calculation of the human development index (HDI) is based on three parameters including (1) longevity (2) knowledge and (3) economic growth. Housewives play a significant role to enhance in all three parameters. Firstly, the housewife works day and night to provide healthy food to all family members which increases longevity. Secondly, housewife often teaches their child better than others and focus on the overall educational development of the child. Thirdly, housewives tend to save more money for the future, better than men. These activities are very significant for the high HDI values which are often ignored by society.
2. Contribution of Housewife in SDI
Sustainable Development Index (SDI) is directly correlated with HDI and inverse with the ecological footprint. As per the above discussion, it is clear that housewife has significant contributions to HDI. Now, coming to ecological footprint, a housewife has a lesser ecological footprint than any other outside working man and woman since she is not using any transport, fuel, heavy machinery, etc. Since she is using fewer resources than others and recycling kitchen waste that reduces the overall ecological footprint of the nation. A lower ecological footprint will lead to a higher SDI for the nation.
3. Largest consumer in the market
Housewives are the largest consumer of groceries, clothing, accessories, and many more in the market which ultimately adds to the economic growth of the world. Your product will be sold out only if housewives are convinced by your services and products. If you are looking for more success in your business you should not ignore your largest consumer.
4. High cultural values
What we do and achieve in life depends on the surrounding environmental conditions including the cultural environment. The cultural environment includes socio-economic status, family, society, and political components. Most often housewives directly contribute positively to all these components. In addition, the cultural conditions maintained by the housewife have more potential to support the development of the entire family and society as a whole.
5. Positive psychological conditions
Psychological conditions are the fourth component of the environment after biotic, abiotic, and cultural that play a vital role to control our stimuli. Housewives create more positive psychological conditions that facilitate entire family members to grow and develop. For the future of children, it is very important to have positive psychological conditions in the family and society. Therefore, the physiological conditions maintained by the housewife cannot be ignored in the development.
Moreover, housewives often serve as primary caregivers for their children, elderly family members, or any other family members who need support and care. They ensure the physical, emotional, and psychological well-being of their family members.
6. Irreplaceable duties and responsibilities
The duties and responsibilities taken and performed by a housewife are irreplaceable with any other services including care, love, food, and psychological conditions. Moreover, housewives are responsible for managing the household and ensuring that it runs smoothly. This includes tasks such as cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping, laundry, and organizing the home. With the advancement and economic development it is easy to get the services provided by the housewife but the quality and unconditional love and care will not be comparable. Therefore, the development of a family is highly dependent on the housewife and the similar role played by the other women. That is the reason why it is believed that behind every successful man, there is a woman.
7. Financial management
While not always the case, some housewives take on the responsibility of managing the family’s finances, budgeting, and ensuring the financial stability of the household.
8. Emotional support and Flexibility
Housewives provide emotional support and a nurturing environment for their family members, creating a sense of belonging and security within the home. Being at home allows housewives to be more flexible and available to handle unexpected situations or emergencies that may arise within the family.
9. Education and socialization
In the case of stay-at-home mothers or fathers, housewives often play a crucial role in their children’s early education and socialization. This role of housewives provides a foundation for their future development.
10. Community involvement
Housewives can often be involved in community activities, volunteering, or supporting local organizations, contributing to the overall well-being of the community. This type of active role in society is not ignorable. Therefore, it has been included in 11 Important contributions of a housewife in the development.
11. Complementing the workforce
In families where one partner works outside the home, the housewife’s role helps support the other partner’s career. This enables other members to focus on their job without having to worry about managing the household simultaneously.
Conclusion
The importance of housewives extends beyond the immediate family and household. Their contributions play a crucial role in maintaining stable and supportive communities. They provide the foundation upon which other family members can grow and thrive. So they can focus more on their careers, education, and personal pursuits. It’s essential to acknowledge that the roles within a family can be diverse and flexible. Therefore, the significance of a housewife’s role can vary depending on the specific dynamics of each family. Ultimately, the importance of the role lies in the love, care, and support that a housewife provides to her family. Therefore, housewives contribute to the overall well-being and happiness of everyone is irreplaceable.
Remember, everyone on the planet is special and has a specific role to play. For growth and development, it is very important to have all the components balanced. The above-listed 11 Important contributions of a housewife in development are just a partial list. However, there are several indirect roles of housewives in the development that is also important to understand their specific role in society. Based on the above discussion, it is clear that a housewife has significant contributions to the development of the nation.
