There is a woman I know who worked before her marriage. She left her job after marriage but wanted to work again. She tried to convince her new family that consisted of her husband and three other in-laws. The mother-in-law insisted that she can recommence job but she’d still be responsible for cooking for the family of five. They were not ready to have a professional cook. The woman joined a company and worked morning to evening. She’d cook before coming to the office and would repeat the same after going back home.

Before I raise a point, I want to ask you, who finalizes a major decision at your home? Is it your father, husband or brother? Why – Because they are elder, have more experience or simply because that’s the norm?

I almost never thought about this before, but a look-back shows me how normal it is to accept a male figure’s decision as something set in stone. Of course there have been times when my mother was against a step, but a nod from my father changed her decision. There have also been times when my mother convinced my father for something. But I want to ask – why are women given convincing power and not the power to make the final decision or to refute a statement?