MADURAI: Observing that women becoming career-oriented is taking a toll on marital relationships, resulting in many working women choosing to remain unmarried, the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court opined that the situation can be remedied if husbands also opt to be homemakers. “This would help preserve the institution of marriage and family,” the court said.
A bench of justices GR Swaminathan and MD Sumathi made the above observations recently while granting a mutual consent divorce to a doctor couple. The judges observed that the responsibility of raising the financial resources traditionally rested on the husband, while the wife took care of the domestic front.
This position has changed over the years, and women are now increasingly becoming career-oriented, which is taking a toll on many relationships. “The situation can probably be remedied if husbands opt to be homemakers. If there can be housewives, there can be househusbands also. Let this become a new normal. We are of the view that this would help preserve the institution of marriage and family,” the judges opined.
The couple got married in 2011, and both were employed in the same hospital. When the man wanted to pursue higher studies, and his wife stayed in her parents’ home and he visited her from time to time. During this period, they had two children, who were brought up by the wife in her parents’ house.
During the pandemic, the husband stayed in the in-laws’ house with his wife and children. He later wanted to move out, which was opposed by the wife. Problems ensued, and the couple moved the family court. While the wife filed a petition seeking restitution of conjugal rights, the husband filed a divorce petition on the ground of cruelty. Both petitions were dismissed by the court, challenging which the couple had approached the high court.
“While the husband was focusing on sharpening his skills, the wife’s abilities have become rather blunt. It would have been just if the husband acknowledged the role played by the wife in taking care of the family by mothering two children. But when the husband abandons midway, the wife is literally left nowhere,” the judges observed and granted them mutual consent divorce after the husband agreed to pay `2.5 crore to the wife to fulfil his financial obligations.
