Family Law-II

Working Women and their impact on spousal relationship

1. Introduction
“A working woman has a more interesting life than one who does not work and
there is also the charm of a pay-pocket- but she often has to pay a heavy price for all
this.”
- Manjit Bhatia
"To awaken the people, it is the women who must be awakened. Once she is
on the move, the family moves, the village moves and the nation moves"
- Jawaharlal Nehru.

Status of the women changed in India.

"It is impossible to think about the welfare of the world unless the condition of women is
improved. It is impossible for a bird to fly on only one wing."
-Swami Vivekananda
`
Nowadays, entire India celebrates Women’s Day with great pomp and show, it would be
only apt to analyze the position and space Indian women occupy today, and comparing it
to the time 60 years ago when the country had just gained independence. With women
participating in nationalist movements, to being pushed into the domestic household
space, to their resurgence as super-women today, women in our country have seen it all.
There have been innumerable debates about gender in India over the years. Much of it
includes women’s positing in society, their education, health, economic position, gender
equality etc. What one can conclude from such discussions is that women have always
held a certain paradoxical position in our developing country. While on one hand, India
has seen an increased percentage of literacy among women, and women are now
entering professional fields, the practices of female infanticide, poor health conditions
and lack of education still persisting still continue. Even the patriarchal ideology of the
home being a woman’s 'real domain' and marriage being her ultimate destiny hasn’t
changed much. The matrimonial advertisements, demanding girls of the same caste, with
fair skin and slim figure, or the much criticized fair and lovely ads, are indicators of the
slow changing social mores. If one looks at the status of women then and now, one has
to look at two sides of the coin; one side which is promising, and one side which is
bleak.

When our country got its independence, the participation of women nationalists was
widely acknowledged. When the Indian Constitution was formulated, it granted equal

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rights to women, considering them legal citizens of the country and as an equal to men
in terms of freedom and opportunity. The sex ratio of women at this time was slightly
better than what it is today, standing at 945 females per 1000 males. Yet the condition of
women screamed a different reality. They were relegated to the household, and made to
submit to the male-dominated patriarchal society, as has always been prevalent in our
country. Indian women, who fought as equals with men in the nationalist struggle, were
not given that free public space anymore. They became homemakers, and were mainly
meant to build a strong home to support their men who were to build the newly
independent country. Women were reduced to being second class citizens. The national
female literacy rate was an alarmingly low 8.6%. The Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) for
girls was 24.8% at primary level and 4.6% at the upper primary level (in the 11-14 years
age group). There existed insoluble social and cultural barriers to education of women
and access to organized schooling.

A very few were allowed into the public space, which she was expected to manage on
her own, while maintaining her domestic role as a homemaker. In spite of the Sharda
Act which was passed in the 1950s to raise the marital age limit for girls, child marriage
particularly in North India was quite prevalent though the average age at marriage for
females was increased to 18. Sprawling inequalities persisted in their access to
education, health care, physical and financial resources and opportunities in political,
social and cultural spheres. It was almost unthinkable for women to have a choice or a
say in matters of marriage, career or life. Rather she had no voice at all. The practice of
dowry was as common as ever.

And since men were better educated than girls, the demands were even more. The Dowry
Prohibition Act was finally passed in 1961, to protect women and promising severe
punishment, but the conviction rate of crime against women was, and still is very low in
India. Because of such inhuman practices which were normalized by our society, the
birth of the girl child was considered inauspicious. In villages as well as cities, the girl
child was killed either before birth or after it. Even till date, the practice continues. The
United Nations Children’s Fund, estimated that up to 50 million girls and women are
‘missing’ from India’s population because of termination of the female foetus or high
mortality of the girl child due to lack of proper care. Though a number of constitutional
amendments were made for women’s social, economic and political benefits, yet they
were never effective to bring a radical change in the situation. Women had only the role
of a ‘good wife’ to play, and if a woman ventured out to work, she was seen as a bad
woman, going against societal norms. Women were expected to cook food and eat only
after the men, with whatever meager amount of food is left. This led to rampant
malnutrition among women, and an extremely poor health status. Around 500 women
were reported to die every day due to pregnancy related problems due to malnutrition,

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and getting married before 18. It was only by the 1960s, that a few educated women
began to see themselves increasingly change from a mere guardian of home to a
legitimate participant in the discourse of life. The country saw the first undercurrent of
female discontent with the system. With time, a lot has changed since those dark ages of
the 1950s for the women. Though at some levels like dowry, crimes like rape, sexual
harassment at office or public places, and molestation, eve-teasing, even after over sixty
years of independence women are still exploited, which is the shameful side of our
country. Yet one can’t deny that the situation has improved since the earlier times.
Women, who now represent 48.2% of the population, are getting access to education, and
then employment. From 5.4 million girls enrolled at the primary level in 1950-51 to 61.1
million girls in 2004-05. At the upper primary level, the enrolment increased from 0.5
million girls to 22.7 million girls. Dropout rates for girls have fallen by 16.5% between
the year 2000 and 2005.

Programs like ‘Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan’ and ‘Saakshar Bharat Mission for Female
Literacy’ has helped increase the literacy rates from less than 10 percent to more than
50% today. The result of this is that India has world's largest number of professionally
qualified women. In fact India has the largest population of working women in the
world, and has more number of doctors, surgeons, scientists, professors than the United
States. Women in India slowly started recognising her true potential. She has started
questioning the rules laid down for her by the society. As a result, she has started
breaking barriers and earned a respectable position in the world. Today Indian women
have excelled in each and every field from social work to visiting space station. There is
no arena, which remains unconquered by Indian women. Whether it is politics, sports,
entertainment, literature, technology everywhere, its women power all along.
Today names like Arundhati Roy, Anita Desai, Kiran Desai, Shobhaa De, Jhumpa Lahiri
can put any other writer to shame. In the field of cinema, women like Rekha, Smita
Patil, Shabana Aazmi and Vidya Balan and Konkona Sen are such names who don’t play
feminised roles, but have asserted themselves over this male-dominated realm. In the
field of Politics, from Indira Gandhi to Shiela Dixit, Uma Bharti, Jayalalithaa,
Vasundhra Raje and Mamata Banerjee today, women are making their presence felt.
Today, the modern woman is so deft and self-sufficient that she can be easily called a
superwoman, juggling many fronts single-handedly. Women are now fiercely ambitious
and are proving their metal not only on the home front, but also in their respective
professions. Women in Indian are coming up in all spheres of life. They are joining the
universities and colleges in large numbers. They are entering into all kinds of
professions like engineering, medicine, politics, teaching, etc. A nation's progress and
prosperity can be judged by the way it treats its women folk. There is a slow and steady
awareness regarding giving the women their dues, and not mistreating them, seeing them
as objects of possession. Despite progress, the very fact that women, along with being

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achievers, also are expected to fulfil their roles as wives or mothers, prioritizing home
against anything else. This point of view hasn’t changed much. There is still a large
section of women who are uneducated, and married off before the age of 18. Families
are required to supply a chaste daughter to the family of her future husband. Also very
few women are actually employed in good-paying jobs, and hence parents don’t see the
point of spending money on girls’ education. Statistics say that close to 245 million
Indian women lack the basic capability to read and write, which is a large number. Only
13.9% women are employed in the urban sector, and 29% in the domestic and
agriculture sector, where too a majority of women are exploited by the men. The sex
ratio of India shows that the Indian society is still prejudiced against female, and a lot is
yet to be achieved in this context.

The path towards total gender empowerment is full of potholes. Over the years, women
have made great strides in many areas with notable progress in reducing some gender
gaps. Yet realities such as 11,332 women and girls getting trafficked every year, and
increased practice of dowry, rape and sexual harassment hit hard against all the
development that has taken place. Thus, if on one hand women are climbing the ladder
of success, on the other hand she is mutely suffering the violence afflicted on her by her
own family members. As compared to the past, women in modern times have achieved a
lot but in reality they have to still travel a long way. Women may have left the secured
domains of their home, but a harsh, cruel, exploitative world awaits them, where women
have to prove their talent against the world who see women as merely vassals of
producing children.

2. Benefits of Working Women

For centuries together, man has been the breadwinner of the family, sweating it out in the
sun, dealing with unknown people and risking his life at times while the woman used to
take care of the family and dealing mostly with known people in a closed and safe
environment.

Slowly the woman started moving out and started to work, however, the primary financial
responsibility lay on the man and it was considered highly demeaning for the man if the
woman earned money and the man had to depend on her. Poor woman was viewed as
victim, being forced to work by the non-working man. Such an ideology simply did not
allow the man to be non-working lest his life was made hell sans dignity.
However, the converse has not been always true. When, on one hand, the man was always
forced to work and earn money, the woman has never really been forced to look after the
house. Whatever women did, they did it out of their own volition and if any woman did
not take care of the family it was considered as a torture on the woman to force her to do

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household work. Even draconian, gender-obsessed and lopsided laws were drafted and
passed to protect such women whose growing misuse is no longer a fiction story.
Slowly the concept of a woman working gained prominence, although the primary
financial responsibility wrested with the man. With the concept of WORKING WOMAN
gaining prominence, the insecurities of the conservatives and the hopes of liberals (who
were actually conservatives’ turned dissidents) flared up laying the foundations of a
cultural war which later ensued into a gender war. Women see many benefits in an
independent career—74% cite flexibility as an important motivator for working
independently and 55% say they love being their own boss. Yet, like all career choices,
there are many factors that can play into your decision. The working women also bring
with herself the following benefits to workplace/organization where she works:

1. Flexibility at workplace- Increased number of women at workplace not only has brought
several positive changes but it also has made organizations look more closely at the
problems of employees. These positive changes enable employers to address unique issues
like helping workers balance professional and family life etc. With more and more women
coming to workplace, the attitude and mindset of employers have been changed. With the
coming of women to workforce, the management has to bring several new programs and
changes that benefit both male and females. Facilities like child care, ATM machine at
work, work from home, elder care, oil change etc. were not offered by the management
before women started to enter workforce.

2. Healthy work life balance- When it comes to create and maintain healthy balance
between work and life, women outshine men. From taking care of kids and family to
giving excellent performance in office, women master the art of balancing job and family
pretty well. Whether single or married, women understand the value of participating in
non-work related activities. They understand work is not everything, to be productive and
happy at workplace some non-work related activities should be introduced or organized.
Flexible work schedules, work from home facility etc. make it possible for women to
maintain a good work-life balance.

3. Effective communication for collaborative work effort- According to experts, women

are great communicator as they respond more effectively to visual, verbal, and emotional
factors than men. Women are endowed with strong communication and networking skills
using which they can encourage any collaborative or group work efforts. Usually who
feels discomfort handling emotions prefer to give directives and share competitive stories
with team members.On the contrary, women listen to team members carefully, share ideas,
and give advice to encourage team work, while maintaining professionalism.

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4. Well rounded work force- When it comes to sensitivity and intuition, women outrun
men. Their sensitivity, intuition and emotional intelligence help to create a well-rounded
workforce. While men lack in understanding one’s unspoken words or emotion, women
decode verbal cues and body language easily and this quality makes them a very effective
problem solver. Even few decades back, women were perceived as irrational, sensitive
and emotional creature who are totally unfit for working outside home. But now women
are doing better as team leader than men due to their sensitive nature, which helps them
to understand unspoken words or emotions. With this quality women are able to address
and resolve any workplace problems or tension before they crop up.

5. Deal with tough situation with a smile on face - Women are calm and tolerant than men,
making them to be composed when dealing with a tough situation or radical changes.
Modern work environment is full of tension and complexities. Women, who tend to have
quiet and less aggressive nature, can handle this tensions and complexities better than
men. Using these qualities they understand any concern better than men and formulate a
solution quickly. Women are mentally powerful than man so handling any tough situation
is comparatively easy for them. They can tackle problems efficiently without giving
tensions to her colleagues or team members. When confronted with an adverse situation,
women look for the opportunity within. They are optimistic and face adverse situation
with their full power.

6. Stronger ethics- Be it morality, transparency or following ethics at workplace, women

prefer to do every job with fairness. They believe in fair playing following ethical codes.
While most of the men focus on running the business well, women acknowledge the rights
and contribution of others in pursuit of fairness. If more women are involved in workforce
the chances of unethical business will reduce considerably. Using these traits woman can
have a well-rounded view of a problem which helps them to take appropriate decisions.

7. Superb Management and positivity and Optimism- Women are born with a mind-
blowing managing skill. From handling board meetings, teaching kids, taking care of
family to cooking they can do every task with much aplomb. They know how much time
and skill to allocate where. With their collaborative style of management, compassion and
intuitiveness they can easily inspire employees to give their best. While most of the men
believe in ‘cross–the-bridge-when-it-comes’ theory, women prefer to do everything with
a to-do list. Women are full of optimism and positivity. For them the glass is always half-
full rather than half-empty. Women can sense opportunity everywhere. They are focused,
strategic and keep their eye on the prize.

Thus, the working women are capable of developing themselves with the changing
environment and every working women will possess the following traits in herself:

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- PRODUCTIVE The work that Indian women do helps them develop themselves
and their society.The spend their time productively and efficiently. They become
workaholic and keep themselves busy most of the time.
- CONFIDENCE Work makes Indian women self-confident and increases their
ability to make decisions. Work becomes an everyday platform to showcase their
talents and the appreciation on the same boosts up their confidence. They build up
the potential to face the obstacles and stand up for themselves. The organized and
formal code of conduct at work makes her more elegant and courteous. A confident
woman is the most attractive women.

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3. Impact on Spousal relationship

Domestic harmony is the result of mutual understanding between the

spouse especially when both partners are working. It is true to say that for the
domestic harmony to be achieved, it is the responsibility of both the spouses. A
working wife's role outside the family has to be approved by the husband .There
could be no alternative to this. A working wife is likely to have greater success
both at home and in office when she is assured of husband's support and
approval. Respondents are asked, in this context, whether they commanded the
support and approval of husband to work outside.

A study has revealed that 69.5% of the husbands have given full and complete approval
to their wives. It indicates that support and approval of husbands are appreciative, which
in turn is an open approach and such attitude of cooperation from the husbands serves as
a morale booster to the wives.

As professionalism has taken its position in the life of young minds. These days, both men
and women are competing in the market to have a better and luxurious life. Gone are the
days when women used to be housewives and men used to earn a living. Women of this
generation believe that they study so hard to work as a professional and not sit at home
like a homemakers. Sitting at home with a masters degree is not their cup of tea. These
days even men want to marry working women who can support them financially and is
also be independent. Here are some of the major benefits of having an educated and
working wife:

1. Considerate about working hours - Very often, housewives get lonely staying at home
and managing all the household chores without the assistance of their better halves. That
is the reason why, when you plan an outing with your non-working wife and fail to make
it or get late, she is sure to get extremely fumed up. It is difficult to convince her that
there was some important meeting or office work that required your complete attention.
On the contrary, if you have a working wife, she sure will be more considerate. This is
because she also has a very hectic schedule at office. She also works through odd hours
and meet tough deadlines. Being tamed to the modern corporate lifestyle, she sure will
be more considerate to your odd office hours or unexpected delays during work.

2. Valuable and helpful suggestion- A working wife in the same field as you, may prove
to be a valuable asset to you. Even if she is not in the same field, she may possess some
valuable skills that will help you achieve your career goals easily. For instance, if your
wife is a content writer, she may be able to help you understand which content is reliable
and which is not. Similarly, if you have a wife into recruitment, she may be able to find

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you a better opportunity when you lose a job. On the contrary, while a homemaker may
be able to manage home perfectly, she won’t be able to provide any additional help,
feedback or suggestions.

3. Not be Orthodox or Superstitious - One of the major problems with housewives is that
they have less exposure to the real world. This makes them easily susceptible to
superstitions and orthodox beliefs. This may eventually hamper your family life too.
Since your housewife spends maximum time with the kids, she may pass on some of her
fears and fake beliefs to her kids. This can affect their future too. On the contrary, a
working woman has more exposure to the real world. She is educated and qualified and
you can convince her of things without providing proper evidence. Thus there are fewer
chances that she will not get carried away by myths and fake beliefs. She will be sane,
intelligent and will pass her wise thoughts to the little ones.

4. Not too old-fashioned-One major problem with typical housewives is that they strictly
adhere to the age-old traditions. This makes them very old fashioned and traditional.
Women who gain proper exposure to the society, on the other hand, are stylish and
trendy. If you have a working wife, you won’t have to prompt her too hard to try out new
clothes and fashions. They will always be eager to try out new styles and fashions. They
will be abreast with the latest trends in the fashion industry.

Just like there are benefits associated with having a working wife, there are some
drawbacks too. These are often the ones, societies in developing countries highlight when
they want to prevent women from working. If you are aware of the major cons and try to
find a solution to these, life with a working wife sure will be heaven.

1. Less time to attend to household chores- The expectation related to household chores
is low when you have working wife. There is every chance that she would prefer a
housemaid over doing all the cleaning up and laundry. She may not be an expert chef like
your mother and won’t be able to prepare those tempting dishes that your mother used to
prepare. You must also be prepared for ready-made and instant foods that you will have
to eat each time your working wife has a busy office schedule. So if you are one of the
typical homely men, be prepared to have some instant noodles, ready to cook pastas and
spicy instant oats. It will prevent you from going hungry when your wife is too busy.

2. Less time to spend with family- The most common expectation of a man from his wife
is that she spends ample time with the family, teaching kids, helping them have values
as they grow up. Housewives are able to spend sufficient time seeing the kids grow.
That is not the case with working women. A professional woman has to deal with
professional pressures and this may prevent her from spending ample family time. You
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will have to accept the fact that your children will have to adjust to a working mother
and be a little independent. They may not have the leisure of growing up hearing
inspirational stories from their mother but they sure will learn the worldly life of
independence sooner that other kids.

3. Not look forward to your gifts and presents- Usually, it is easy to please a woman
who has less worldly exposure. She will not know much about the available options and
could be pleased with simple gifts. This is not the case with a working woman. If you
try to resolve an issue by gifting her beautiful items, you may not succeed. She may
have a clear idea what she wants and she may even be in a position to buy it herself.

4. Household responsibilities - This is one fact that few men will appreciate or enjoy to
accept. When there is a woman who is working and earning a certain income, the
husband will have to shoulder some of her household responsibilities. These could be
tasks like buying ration, sending kids to school, packing tiffin for kids or even cooking
up some healthy breakfast. If you are willing to support your wife with some of the
household chores, the family will not suffer the brunt of a working mother. On the other
hand, if you sit back with traditional views like men should not enter the kitchen, finally
your family will suffer for this lack of understanding.

5. Difficult to fool her- In the past when women barely left their house, it was easy for
men to make fake excuses when they were away from home longer than usual or having
fun with their friends. That is not possible when you have a working wife. A working
woman has a clear idea of the different places where men hangout with their friends
and colleagues. So you cannot lie and get away with it. You must either have the
smartness to make the right excuse or the honesty to tell her the truth.

6. Ego clashes- Especially in societies that have been predominantly male dominated, a
working woman is still not an easy thing to accept. Many men tend to have ego
problems when their wives start earning more than them or succeeding in their careers.
Then they start creating obstacles in the wife’s life making life hard for both of them.
You must have the maturity to avoid such clashes. Money should never come in
between a couple. Love and understanding should form the foundation of your
relationship. You must understand that the total sum should be utilized effectively to
ensure the family growth and prosperity.

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4. Experience of the working women

Gandhiji said, ‘Intellectually, mentally and spiritually, woman is equivalent to a male

and she can participate in every activity”. From Sita in ‘Ramayana’ to Jhansi’s Rani
Lakshmibai are not only celebrated women but has also contributed to social change and
awareness had been immense. India is the original home of the mother Goddesses. Their
contribution to society in whole and to Women in particular is invaluable. A woman is
an epitome of love, sacrifice, care and ability to nurture life. Women in India have always
been honoured and respected.
Anandi Gopal Joshi, Indira Joshi, Justice Anna Chandy, Kalpana Chawla Mother Teresa
have contributed immensely to the the male dominated India.

In the current times, women have contributed in all spheres, be it Kalpana Chawla for
aeronautics, Indira Nooyi, Chanda Kocchar setting new bars for the males in the
industrial world, Mary Kom, Saina Nehwal, Saina Mirza in Sports, Indira Gandhi, Sonia
Gandhi, Mayawati, Maneka Gandhi in politics, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Priyanka
Chopra, Vidya Balan, Aishwariya Bachan in entertainment, Kiran Bedi in Police system,
Bachendri Pal as first ever Indian to summit Mount Everest and fifth women in World
and the list goes on and on.

But it also interesting to take a view of these famous personalities of how they become
successful in work life but also managed their private life.
In an interview the Atlantic, Indra Nooyi, the former CEO of Pepsico and ranking in the
Forbes magazine continuously from 2008 to 2017 in the The World’s 100 Most Powerful
Women shared her experience.
The day she got to know that she will be announced as the President of PepsiCo, she had
decided to go home and share the good news. Ecstatically, she told her mother that she
has good news to share to which her mother asked her whether she could get some milk.
She asked her mother, as to why she couldn’t ask her son-in-law or her house help for it
however, like a dutiful daughter, she went out and got the milk and came back. Her
mother explained her one thing. “You might be president of PepsiCo. You might be on
the board of directors. But when you enter this house, you're the wife, you're the
daughter, you're the daughter-in-law, you're the mother. You're all of that. Nobody else
can take that place. So leave that damned crown in the garage. And don't bring it into
the house. You know I've never seen that crown."

In her interview she continued to say the following:

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“I don't think women can have it all. I just don't think so. We pretend we have it all.
We pretend we can have it all. My husband and I have been married for 34 years.
And we have two daughters. And every day you have to make a decision about
whether you are going to be a wife or a mother, in fact many times during the day
you have to make those decisions. And you have to co-opt a lot of people to help you.
We co-opted our families to help us. We plan our lives meticulously so we can be
decent parents. But if you ask our daughters, I'm not sure they will say that I've been
a good mom. I'm not sure. And I try all kinds of coping mechanisms.

I'll tell you a story that happened when my daughter went to Catholic school. Every
Wednesday morning they had class coffee with the mothers. Class coffee for a
working woman—how is it going to work? How am I going to take off 9 o'clock on
Wednesday mornings? So I missed most class coffees. My daughter would come home
and she would list off all the mothers that were there and say, "You were not there,
mom."

The first few times I would die with guilt. But I developed coping mechanisms. I called
the school and I said, "give me a list of mothers that are not there." So when she came
home in the evening she said, "You were not there, you were not there."

And I said, "ah ha, Mrs. Redd wasn't there, Mrs. So and So wasn't there. So I'm not
the only bad mother."

You know, you have to cope, because you die with guilt. You just die with guilt. My
observation, is that the biological clock and the career clock are in total conflict with
each other. Total, complete conflict. When you have to have kids you have to build
your career. Just as you're rising to middle management your kids need you because
they're teenagers, they need you for the teenage years.

And that's the time your husband becomes a teenager too, so he needs you. They need
you too. What do you do? And as you grow even more, your parents need you because
they're aging. So we're screwed. We cannot have it all. Do you know what? Coping
mechanisms. Train people at work. Train your family to be your extended family. You
know what? When I'm in PepsiCo I travel a lot, and when my kids were tiny,
especially my second one, we had strict rules on playing Nintendo. She'd call the
office, and she didn't care if I was in China, Japan, India, wherever. She'd call the
office, the receptionist would pick up the phone, "Can I speak to my mommy?"
Everybody knows if somebody says, 'Can I speak to mommy?' It's my daughter. So
she'd say, "Yes, Tyra, what can I do for you?"

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"I want to play Nintendo."

So she has a set of questions. "Have you finished your homework?" Etc. I say this
because that's what it takes. She goes through the questions and she says, "Okay, you
can play Nintendo half an hour." Then she leaves me a message. "Tyra called at 5.
This is the sequence of questions I went through. I've given her permission." So it's
seamless parenting. But if you don't do that, I'm serious, if you don't develop
mechanisms with your secretaries, with the extended office, with everybody around
you, it cannot work. You know, stay at home mothering was a full time job. Being a
CEO for a company is three full time jobs rolled into one. How can you do justice to
all? You can't. The person who hurts the most through this whole thing is your spouse.
There's no question about it. You know, Raj always said, you know what, your list is
PepsiCo, PepsiCo, PepsiCo, our two kids, your mom, and then at the bottom of the
list is me.”

However, the two have been happily and successfully married with the beautiful
family.

Not only Indra Nooyi, even Zia Mody the Indian Corporate Lawyer and Female
Business Icon ranked #1 in the Indian Fortune Magazine had to face the hardships of
managing a balance between work and private life.
In an interview, she admitted that her husband and her mother-in-law has been a
support and should equally credit in her achievements. She said that her life has not
been easy. “I continue to generally have a happy day which often becomes a long
one.”
Zia writes in a memoir “I didn’t have the kind of job where I could be home for
dinner. Litigation demanded grueling preparation. What I considered sufficient
preparation for court certainly required long hours of work into the night, Jaydev
would control his schedule more and be with the girls as much as he could. He would
take the girls all over Bombay. They would go to the horse race, eat chaat, go
swimming, go to every circus or mela in town. I think when I was home, we did more
homework.”

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Working Women and their impact on spousal relationship

5. Conclusion And Suggestion

If you want to be a successful woman professional and also lead a fulfilling family life,
you need to first be extremely serious about your career and extremely diligent and
accommodating in your personal life.

In order to achieve anything, sacrifice is essential.

And in this case, the sacrifice would be your own personal time or social life at least for a
few years till the demands on your time ease!

If you do decide to make that choice and take a break from your career due to family
commitments, it is once again your own responsibility to gradually build your own
comfort in living with that decision and also consciously make efforts to retain your
confidence and go back to your profession if you wish to/need to.

As Zia has rightly said in her interview, “You had to work harder, be prepared every day,
and be the ‘go to’ junior that seniors would want because you made their life easier,”
This has to be kept in mind by both the male and female counterpart in any organization
for the success of the organization. Hence the females have equal pressure as the male.

Salute to the incredible women!

The most admirable quality among women is their resilience.

Take the cleaning of vegetables or embroidering a quilt on an overcrowded train/bus to

work.

Take the mother on a two-wheeler balancing a child, a basket of groceries and a stack of
files to finish work at home.

Take the numerous brave women who work as domestic help or labourers who support
families on meagre incomes.

The spirit of these incredible women deserves a salute.

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6. Bibliography

The following are the sources of information which assisted me in preparing the above
analysis:

 www.wikipedia.org
 https://www.fortuneindia.com/mpw/zia-mody?year=2018
 http://ceolounge.net/2017/09/06/zia-and-jaidev-mody/
 Women And Empowerment by Jaya Kothai Pillai
 The Working Woman’s Handbook by Phoebe Lovatt
 https://www.indiafamousfor.com/famous-womens-in-india-ever.htmlt
 Our lecturer has also supported me preparing the project

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