People> Breadwinners of the changing world

Images by: Tanya Munshi

Images: Op Demo, Navy Day at Visakhapatnam

Image copyright: Tanya Munshi

Text by: Tanya Munshi

Times are changing, the world is only getting more and more competitive each day. Commodities are getting dearer as the Rupee doesn’t stretch as much as it used to be. Eating out, recreation, clothes, essential items all seem to have adorned the garb of expensiveness.

Post liberalisation has thrown in a lot of opportunities in India. While the Indian man has definitely moved into greener pastures of MBAs and CAs, and moving abroad, the Indian woman has now adorned a few more roles apart from a wife and mother. Now, she too dreams of earning and contributing to her family.

How rising prices affect people
In the civil world, couples are moving to being DINKS – which is a ‘Double Income No Kids’ family, to be able to sustain themselves in an ever volatile and expensive world. Today, most wives feel the need to do something worthwhile and lucrative so that they too can be the breadwinners along side their husbands. But not all couples prefer being DINKS.

How is it different for the armed forces:
People in the armed forces are still well rooted and not wanting such sacrifices of not having a child. Defence wives realise that their husbands are working in harsher conditions, than an average software professional. So why shouldn’t they too be brought up to a pedestal? Why should an MBA or a software professional earn accolades and huge remuneration world wide? The work our service personnel do is way tougher, in harsher conditions which is not conducive to their health and personal life and away from their families. That’s too much of a sacrifice these men do.

A peek into a defence life
We all know, being a defence officers’ wife comes with a lot of responsibilities. Not only are they expected to run a household, but are supposed to handle a lot of other administrative tasks in the absence of their husbands. They need to drive a car, to be able to handle herself in any situation especially in a new town/ city where people may not speak the same language, bringing up children alone, dealing with pregnancy while her husband is away and a constant worry that the husband is at a risky job profile - are just some of the trials and tribulations she has to go through.

Challenges faced by defence officers’ wives

Jobs/ Careers
One of the main challenges that a defence wife has to go through is - trying to apply for a job in a town/ city, where she has to put up with a slammed door on her face. Why? Most corporates don’t entertain a defence officer’s wife for the simple reason of their nomadic lifestyle. This is unfair as no company has a right to turn away a prospective employee simply because of his/ her spouse is serving in the armed forces. This shows the apathy that the private sector has towards our armed forces, not realising that it is primarily because of the round the clock vigil by the armed forces that keeps them safe, so that they in turn can earn their profit. In turn, if their families are not entertained to be able to support themselves, what faith will the services personnel have in their country men?

Distance living
Today, there are many more career opportunities, but mostly concentrated in the metros. As a result, several wives are opting to either stay separated from their husbands just so that they together can attain a certain standard of living that is required.

Availability of more lucrative options
For some women, teaching as a career isn’t the answer to this competitive world. Not that teaching isn’t enjoyable anymore, this profession has its own perks such as - it gives you enough time to spend with your husband and children, pursue hobbies, meet friends and earn a decent salary. But this may not be enough to cope with the rising demands of growing children or if purchasing a house in the civil world.

Salary structure
As an example, let’s take a city or town in the country, where you plan on buying a flat. Today, in a B-class city, a basic two-bedroom hall kitchen starts from Rupees 20 lakhs (this may not include an extra lakh or two for parking space). Starting from the very disparity that we face of a salary structure, a young lieutenant’s dreams of a owning a house may get crushed at the nascent stage. Yes of course, unless he’s got enough financial backing from his family, then its not a problem. But not all come with similar backgrounds.

Measures
~ Salary increment of our defence personnel that match up to the standards of the civil world, so that our men too feel at par, if not superior or inferior to their peers in the civil society.

~ Tie-ups with reliable HR firms across the country, ensuring the wives who want to work can get a decent job in a new town or city on arrival.

Life shouldn’t be so tough at all times for only one section of people, especially for the armed forces personnel and their families. Right from the salary structure, to housing, employment opportunities for wives should be given due consideration and a positive action taking place for betterment of lives of service personnel. Lack of doing so will only result in the civil world mocking the armed forces at their archaic system of life and living.