The Missing Support System

The Missing Support System
@Sayari De, 2006 Architecture & Planning

Man is a social animal-naturally we love to stay and thrive well in a community that is supportive and helps us survive. In the early ages, where humans lived in the wild, being social often meant foraging for food together, having support systems to raise children and protecting the weak from wild animals and unpredictable natural disaster .Over time this societal structure has undergone several changes from big joint families and supportive neighbourhoods to nuclear families in isolated building, from earning livelihood from hard physical labour to working from the comforts of the home- the change is quite visible. We are at a point where due to the change in the roles in the family unit we see the societal structures undergoing several changes.

With this evolving society with education opening up and freedom to have a personal dream we see the rise of new professions that did not exist even a couple of decades ago. Both men and women have started moving out- of their home and their hometown, with the hope to build a new adventurous life and livelihood.

So how does one navigate through? Do we hold close the ideologies that have been handed down to us through generations or do we make room for what the need of the hour is and create solutions surrounding the need.

Let us go a bit deeper – what is it that has changed in the workplace and in the home in over a few decades of time that is disrupting the core unit of a society. How does one move forward the evolution that is happening? Is it “good” for us or are we moving towards a dysfunctional society?

A new survey says, 45% of Indian women shall be single by the year 2030. This indicates that there is a breakdown in the traditional family unit.

Along with the change in the family unit we see traditional professions go through an interesting shift. Doctors, engineers, scientists, security guards, police personnel, businesses- now have women not just present but thriving in them. Women have made their presence felt in mountaineering to swimming, from making a difference in boardrooms to changing policies in parliaments. The pace at which women are moving into the workspace and outside world, is much faster than the pace at which the societal structures are evolving.

And this is where we are focusing on today.

We often hear of women who after a day’s work in the office space are still majorly responsible for running a functional family while getting little or no support from the immediate family. Offices and city spaces also have a huge impact on the quality of life that a woman gets when she moves out of her home for the hope of a better future. So, when the Supreme Court of India declared having a creche in its premises from May 2024 it seemed like a welcome move. 2024! Imagine!

We have a long way to go. Adding facilities is a financial decision- changing the mindset of the individual a tougher task. Most women in any profession can vouch on having been asked the question of what they want to do when they decide to have a child- assuming each woman wants to have a child and leave a job when they do so.

A reason behind this can be because In most of the cases we find the traditional roles in homes have not seen a major shift. Traditionally the home and family have been places where women spent majority if not all of their time. As mothers and wives of the house they have been responsible for taking care of the children and the man had been the bread earner of the family.

But, beyond necessity lies want-
Now there are many women who want to step out of the house and see the world outside. They want to take up bigger roles both outside along with their roles within the home.

Thus in traditional homes the women of the house took care that the daily functioning of the family and made them seamless- from preparation of fresh food, to taking care of of the laundry and keeping a clean house, tending the youngest member and the oldest -the women spent their time creating an ecosystem which supported their fathers, husbands, brothers and sons to fully devote their time in the activities that they hoped to pursue. Families supported the roles of the individual members- creating a functional ecosystem.

Functional roles do not mean fair roles. The roles were functional but they created a sense of disparity between the two genders.

Financial independence of the women was dependent on the men in their lives.

We now live in a world where we have women who were traditional home makers married in the preteens to having women living in their 30s and 40s living unconventional lives- holding a strong job and a career. They not only have the capacity and the will but also have the drive to survive in the outside world.

So, with these changes the question is what happens to the family unit?
As on date barring some very limited families- the woman still is responsible for the complete functioning of the household- from the food to be prepared, to keeping the house hygienic and functional to taking care of the youngest and the oldest family members in addition to the roles that they have taken outside her home.

We need businesses that support this evolution. We need families to share some of the responsibilities.
We need a Support system that enables individuals to choose the life they deserve.

When there is a new responsibility to an individual, we need to re-assess the system and all members in the system need to rise upto the occasion- This is true for business and office decisions- why should it not be true for family situations?