Mohan Bhagwat says families must share chores, not burden women alone
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Friday said women should not be made to carry every responsibility only because they are capable, and stressed that families
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Friday said women should not be made to carry every responsibility only because they are capable, and stressed that families should work as a team. He said responsibilities at home should be shared and a woman's own aspirations should not be pushed aside. Speaking at a question-and-answer session after his lecture on Yuganukul Matrutva at an event organised by Vishwamangalya Sabha in New Delhi, Bhagwat also called for greater participation by men in household responsibilities. He said society must create an environment in which women get equal respect and support, feel safe, and can contribute fully to nation-building. Read Full Story "As I said earlier, all 18 responsibilities should not be placed on the woman alone. Today, work should be shared.
If the entire family functions as a team, this is entirely possible," he said. Bhagwat said peace and satisfaction come when people are able to pursue what they truly want, and added that families should decide their priorities together while maintaining harmony. He said, "The family must also ensure that, beneath all these responsibilities, a woman's own aspirations and desires do not get suffocated or die. The family should ask itself what opportunities it can provide so that she is able to fulfil those aspirations." He added that awareness was needed among both men and women and urged families to begin the change at home. "You know better than anyone how to administer even a bitter medicine with love. Begin there. Gradually, the atmosphere changes," he said.
On the role of men, Bhagwat said creating awareness among them was equally important for women's empowerment. "I would also like to appeal to the men present here. Please give serious thought to this issue. Begin with yourselves. Create the right atmosphere in your own homes. Without this, change will not happen," he said. Bhagwat said households in earlier times functioned through consultation, with women handling family finances and key decisions, and said that spirit of partnership needed to be revived. "We need to recreate that atmosphere. Today, excessive individualism -- the attitude of 'I' and 'mine' -- has grown stronger. We need to learn once again how to manage the ego. That can happen only through dialogue," he said. On women's safety, Bhagwat said society as a whole was responsible for ensuring that women felt secure.
"Society itself should not become the aggressor. Ideally, there should be no need for such a fight at all," he said, while adding that women were capable of protecting themselves but expected society to provide a safe environment. On their role in nation-building, he said, "Women constitute half of our society. Unless that entire half contributes its full strength, the dream of a developed India cannot be realised." In sum, Bhagwat said families, men and society all had a role in sharing responsibilities, supporting women's aspirations and creating a safe and respectful environment. Ends With inputs from PTI
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