Some residents of the Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State have advised both men and women to support one another in handling household chores.
In separate interviews with journalists 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 rather than solely reserved duties for women.
Abubakar Ibrahim, a Karu-based realtor, said couples should appreciate each other’s efforts and offer corrections with the right approach.
According to Mr Ibrahim, helping one’s wife with chores is not wrong, and any person could help out to ensure the home front is okay.
“For me, it’s a nice experience doing such work because it offers me the opportunity to understand the way things are, and this helps us better in managing our home,” he said.
Mr Ibrahim also said that there was nothing wrong with men going to the markets to buy foodstuffs and other domestic necessities.
Similarly, Sherifudeen Adaviruku, a fashion designer in Karu, corroborated Mr Ibrahim’s view, saying some men even cook well and do better in house cleaning and childcare.
“As a young boy, my mother told me that chores have nothing to do with gender. It was this early training that made me learn how to cook and do other things, which is a stabilising factor in my marital life today,” he said.
Mr Adaviruku blamed issues that sometimes result in domestic violence on not sharing domestic responsibilities between couples.
“At times, the woman might be overburdened and cannot do some of the work timeously; insensitive husbands will cash in on the little delay to make trouble, and sometimes they end in an avoidable clash,” he said.
He advised parents to help inculcate this habit in their children, especially the boys.
Mr Adaviruku regretted that hiring house help by most families has caused children not to learn basic chores.
Idoko Solomon, a banker, said household chores should be seen as a complementary role for men and women.
Mr Solomon said, “A man should know how to do 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.”
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.
“The reason why some feel it reduces male masculinity is because of the norms in some societies in the past, which today helped fuel the crisis on the home front,” she said.
(NAN)
