Faryal Makhdoom, the wife of famous boxer Amir Khan, has been highlighted in the media over the years from the very beginning of her relationship. Recently, she made an appearance on Good Morning Britain, speaking on the topic of whether stay-at-home parents should be paid. A stay-at-home Mom herself, Faryal said that stay-at-home parents like her should be paid a salary of £90,000 – that’s approximately PKR 17,146,229.
Her argument was that they do all the chores of the house like a CEO, and hence should be paid even more than a lawyer or a surgeon.
Faryal believes that since child-care is subsidized in the UK, parents who choose to stay at home should be paid a salary since they are saving money for the government.
Her argument didn’t go over well with Amelle Berrabah, former singer and member of the band Sugarbabes.
Amelle said that having children is a choice and they should be brought up with love and care. She couldn’t see that as a job and felt that asking for a salary would be like putting a price on her children.
Faryal said that it’s not just the child, it’s all the chores including cooking and cleaning.
Amelle was not convinced, adding that at the end of the day having a child is a choice and if you are having trouble managing the house-work you need to speak to your husband about dividing the house-work!
You can watch the whole thing here:
While Faryal kinda has a point, it raises the question – is that plausible in Pakistan?
She’s actually raised a very important point about the unpaid labor that goes into becoming a homemaker. However, in a country like Pakistan, where homemaking isn’t even considered actual work, would this idea fly?
We do have to keep in mind that there aren’t significant if any, government subsidies in Pakistan for child-care, to begin with. That, alongside the notion that having children is an absolute necessity, alongside the reinstated idea that women should give birth, as if it’s their sole purpose, makes this conversation a nearly impossible one. It’s rather privileged to assume that parents that are homemakers don’t need to be paid for their labor, and using the “can’t put a price on love” argument is a classic guilt-inducing tactic.
What do you think about this? Should stay-at-home parents be paid for their efforts? Let us know in the comments below!
