A Homemaker, Not a Housewife

At a conference I once attended to cover a feature story, a young, well-educated man presented his innovation: a kitchen appliance. His pitch leaned heavily on one phrase: “Made easy for housewives.”

He repeated it often. And every time, it felt wrong.

Not because the intent was malicious, but because the language was lazy. Two words: 'housewife and homemaker' are often treated as synonyms, yet they are separated by a deep line of respect.

Then came a moment of quiet correction. A senior woman, who leads one of the state’s most respected women weavers’ collectives, stepped onto the dais. With grace and a smile, she said,

“Let me correct this first. They are homemakers, not housewives.”

The applause was instant and deserved.

You see… a house cannot marry a wife.

Because words matter. Because labels define worth.

Let’s do the math society conveniently ignores:

A full-time cook.

A housekeeper.

A tutor.

A nurse

An errand runner.

A manager.

A caregiver.

That’s easily ₹25,000 a month minimum. And this still doesn’t count in for emotional labour, mental planning, and round-the-clock availability.

Yet she is called the “not working” woman.

Homemaking comes with no salary, no promotions, no retirement and often, no appreciation at all. Still, homes function, children grow, and families thrive because of it.

If recognising homemaking as a profession still feels too ambitious, let’s begin with something simpler:

Stop calling homemakers “not working.”

Let's change the language and the attitude.

Because respect begins with how we speak.