The recent comment by Kashmera Shah about a Bigg Boss contestant, Raqesh Bapat calling him a ‘henpecked husband again’ has obviously rubbed the internet the wrong way. Because what does a henpecked husband even mean? Does standing up for your partner, helping your partner and making sure they are alright qualify as a chance to use this sexist term?
Because as patriarchal as this term sounds, it is used way too casually. Here are 9 instances where this term is used, but these things don’t make you henpecked – just a good human.
1. Taking charge in the kitchen and contributing to your own house only makes you a responsible adult.
2. Taking cleaning responsibilities in the space that you live in, is something you should do regardless of whom you live with – your parents or your partner.
3. Calling out your friends when they make sexist jokes, especially around your partner, is just the decent thing to do.
4. When your partners takes charge of certain things, it doesn’t make you less of a ‘man’ or a ‘joru ka ghulam‘.
5. Showing your partner how much you value them, in public, does not make you henpecked or whipped, just romantic.
6. Not brushing everything under the rug and refusing to say ‘boys will be boys’, doesn’t mean you are being ‘disloyal’ to your gender.
7. Not going by the logic ‘bros before hoes’ and putting your partner’s needs over yours when necessary, only makes you a good human.
8. Refusing to ‘control’ your wife under the guise of patriarchy is merely the right thing to do.
9. Standing up for your spouse when they’re right, against your parents, theirs or anybody, is what you should be doing regardless.
It’s time to draw the line.