N18: In modern society, the burden of household responsibilities has to be borne by both husband and wife equally: Bombay High Court
The wife had claimed that she was forced to handle all household responsibilities after returning from work and faced abuse when contacting her family. She also alleged instances of physical abuse by her estranged husband.
;The Bombay High Court recently emphasized the importance of equal sharing of household responsibilities between husbands and wives in modern society. This observation came as the court dismissed an appeal filed by a man seeking the dissolution of his 13-year-old marriage, as he failed to establish his claim of "cruelty" against his estranged wife.
The 35-year-old man had challenged a 2018 order from the Family Court that dismissed his divorce plea on the grounds of cruelty. Both the husband and wife were employed, and the court noted that expecting the wife to shoulder all household responsibilities reflected a regressive mindset.
"In modern society, the burden of household responsibilities has to be borne by both husband and wife equally. The primitive mindset expecting the woman of the house to solely shoulder the household responsibilities needs to undergo a positive change," the judges remarked.
A bench comprising Justice stated that on perusal of the admissions which has come on record, the admitted position is that both the husband and the wife were employed and as such, expecting the wife to do all the household work reflects a regressive mindset.
Furthermore, the court emphasized that in a marital relationship, a wife should not be isolated from her parents, and she cannot be expected to sever ties with her family. The judges' comments came in response to allegations that the wife was constantly on the phone with her mother and not participating in household chores.
The couple had married in 2010, and the husband alleged that his wife did not perform household work and was always in contact with her mother. However, the wife claimed that she was forced to handle all household responsibilities after returning from work and faced abuse when contacting her family. She also alleged instances of physical abuse by her estranged husband.
This ruling by the Bombay High Court underscores the need for a more equitable distribution of household responsibilities in marital relationships and encourages a shift away from traditional gender roles in modern society.
The party names have been withheld .