NASARAWA- Some residents of Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State have advised both men and women to support each other in handling household chores.
In separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday, the residents said that doing household chores does not diminish masculinity, but rather strengthens marital bonds.
They maintained that house chores should be seen as shared responsibilities and not solely reserved duties for women.
Mr Abubakar Ibrahim, a Karu-based realtor, said that couples should appreciate each other’s efforts and offer corrections with the right approach.
According to Ibrahim, helping one’s wife by doing some chores is not wrong, saying that any person could help out to ensure the home front is okay.
“My wife understands that Mondays to Fridays are my office days and she does most of the domestic duties, than on Saturdays and Sundays, nothing is wrong for me to assist her to enable her rest.
“For me, it’s a nice experience doing such works because it offer me the opportunity to understand the way things are and this helps us better in managing our home,’’ he said.
Ibrahim also said that there was nothing wrong for men to go to the markets to buy foodstuffs and other domestic needs, saying that doing so enable them get first hand idea on the changes in prices.
“When you have the idea of costs of items, it will make both the wife and husband to be more open to each other in terms of handling household bills,” he said.
Similarly, Mr Sherifudeen Adaviruku, a fashion designer in Karu corroborated Ibrahim’s view, saying that some men even cook well, as well as do better in house cleaning and childcare.
“As a young boy, my mother told me that chores have nothing to do with gender.
“She asked me, as a young man, assuming you are going for the mandatory one year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme and you don’t know how to do things yourself, who will do it for you?
“It was for this early training that made me to learn how to cook and do other things, which for is a stabilising factor in my marital life today,’’ he said.
Adaviruku, blamed issues that sometimes result to domestic violence on not sharing domestic responsibilities between couples.
“At times, the woman might be over-burdened and cannot do some of the works timeously, insensitive husbands will cash in on the little delay to make trouble and sometimes they end in avoidable clash,’’ he said.
He advised parents to help inculcate this habit in their children, especially the boys.
Adaviruku regretted that hiring house helps by most families has caused children not learning basic chores.
He emphasised that wives are not slaves; but helper that require the support of their husbands and children at all times.
“Anything you can do to reduce her stress, do it. If it means hiring a maid to help with household chores, that’s perfectly fine.
“Helping out does not reduce your masculinity, it rather strengthens the bond”, he said.
Mr Idoko Solomon, a banker, said that household chores should be seen as complimentary role for men and women.
According to Solomon, a man should know how to do the house chores even before getting married. Your wife is your helpmate, not your servant.
“If I am at home, I will not just sit around relaxing or watching television, while my wife does all the chores. I was not raised that way,’’ he said.
Mrs Joan Okechukwu, a trader, noted that doing house chores goes beyond love.
“Some men love their wives but don’t believe in helping with housework. It has to do with upbringing,” she said.
“The reason why some feel it reduces male masculinity is because of the norms in some societies in the past which today helped fuelling crisis in the home front.
“It used to be woman’s traditional role for centuries now, but these days, due to education and enlightenment everyone should contribute in household works for more peaceful environment,” she added. (NAN)
