The New Indian Women
Business World - March 19, 2007

In the middle and upper class households, she must take care of all home and 'outdoor work' of the family so that she facilitates and insulates the man who is better qualified and who can earn big bucks to continue to do so with no distraction.

At the very top social class, if she can be an equal earning partner, she must contribute and do so. But only up to a point of 'adequacy', because the idea is to optimise the unit's earnings, not maximise the woman's earning. Therefore, predictably, 20 per cent of social class (SEC) A housewives work outside the home going down to 16 per cent as you proceed towards SEC B and C. And from D as you make your way towards E (husband unskilled worker and uneducated too), that number rides up from 16 per cent to almost 40 per cent.

Have no doubt about it - the beleaguered wife and mother is still around. But instead of being worried about stains on the rugs, kids' tiffin dabbas, and husband's grumbling about the quality of dinner, she is totally stressed out in her old role as nurturer and her new role as provider partner, either directly or indirectly contributing to the offering to Goddess EMI.

The good news is that as her economic role in the marriage becomes more and more important, she gets treated better and better, and she gets more and more freedom in terms of what she does when she is outside the house earning her living or doing 'outdoor' family work. The bad news is what an analysis of last week's matrimonial ads showed.

I first looked in the 'wanted brides' section, under the title 'cosmopolitan'. Well educated, beautiful, homely/ convent educated, charming, extremely beautiful... the emphasis on education is hard to not notice. Because in her new role as provider facilitator, education helps for sure. Does that explain at least in part why enrolment of girls in college, even in the smaller towns, is increasing?

Then there are those seeking career oriented bride/ seeks working, very beautiful bride/ seeks beautiful professionally qualified girl/ working girl preferred. The ratio was 60 per cent of the latter and 40 per cent of the former. Need I say more on this subject?

I went to look at the Brahmin brides section because I thought maybe those hidebound enough to stick to caste may have a different view on this. I should have known better. Preferable engineering graduate/ suitable medico girl / seeks engineer / doctor / MBA beautiful, fair slim girl from decent family / seeks qualified Maithil non-vatsa bride...

Yes, the times, they are a changing. But not exactly in the way we think they are!