This Homemakers Day, Let’s Honour the Hands That Build Our Homes

This Homemakers Day, celebrate the unseen labor that keeps every home running. It’s time we value care, choice, and the people who make homes whole.

There’s a moment in Jama Taqseem that quietly lingers long after the episode ends. Laila’s mother, taunts her daughter for “wasting” her MBA by spending her days cooking, cleaning, and running the house. It’s not said with cruelty — just that familiar mix of disappointment and mockery we’ve all seen play out in real homes.

It’s a small scene, but it mirrors a much larger mindset.

Somewhere along the way, our society began equating ambition solely with employment and self-worth with earning power. The woman who steps into an office is celebrated for her “independence,” while the one who chooses to stay home is pitied for her “lack of drive.” We call ourselves progressive, but we still measure value by paychecks.

The irony? The so-called “housewife” probably works longer hours than most of us.
Let’s be honest homemaking isn’t sitting idly in comfort.

It’s a full-time, emotionally exhausting, physically demanding job that somehow manages to remain invisible.

From planning meals to budgeting groceries, remembering every family member’s preferences, keeping the household emotionally balanced, caring for elders, raising children it’s endless, often thankless labor.

And yet, it’s seen as “nothing.”
We scroll through Instagram seeing posts of “girlboss” culture, hustle talk, and motivational quotes about financial independence and while those messages are empowering in their own right, they’ve also created a subtle hierarchy: where working outside the home means “having made it,” while staying home somehow signals stagnation.

But what about the women who choose to stay home? Or the men who do?

When a woman decides to take charge of her home and family, it’s not necessarily because she’s been forced into it.

Many times, it’s a conscious, thoughtful decision one rooted in care, not in compulsion. And when a man becomes the primary caregiver or homemaker, instead of applauding his choice, society often labels him as “less ambitious” or “dependent.”

We speak so often of feminism and equality, yet true equality would mean respecting all choices the corporate ladder and the kitchen counter alike.

Let’s reframe the idea of “work.”
Running a household requires management, strategy, multitasking, negotiation, leadership — all the things we glorify in boardrooms.

Homemakers handle crises daily: a sick child, a leaking pipe, an unexpected guest, a family argument. They are the first to wake up and often the last to rest.

Their work might not come with bonuses or LinkedIn endorsements, but its impact is lifelong.

Many people think education is only useful for getting a job, assuming that a woman who earns a degree must work outside the home. But education offers more than that. It can help women manage a household more effectively, teaching skills like planning, organization, communication, and problem-solving. A degree can empower a woman not only in a career but also in raising a family and running a home thoughtfully. Still, being educated or not does not make a homemaker’s work any less valuable.

Unfortunately, society often undervalues homemakers, seeing their work as less significant because it happens at home. A clear example of this is Rashida from Jama Taqseem. Rashida is a homemaker, but she is treated as the least important person in her household. Her work is ignored, her efforts are unrecognized, and she is often disregarded by other family members. The way Rashida is treated reflects how society often views homemakers – as people whose contributions are invisible or taken for granted.

Every professional who leaves for work with a packed lunch, every child who grows up in a stable, loving home all of that is made possible because someone stayed behind to keep the world in order.

It’s easy to romanticize their efforts with phrases like “unsung heroes” or “pillars of the home,” but appreciation means little if it doesn’t come with respect. Respect for their time. Respect for their labor. Respect for the choice itself.

So today, on Homemaker’s Day, let’s take a moment to shift our lens. Let’s stop treating homemaking as a fallback plan, or as something people “end up doing” when other doors close.

Let’s start recognizing it for what it truly is an act of service, strength, and selflessness.

To every person who wakes up each morning and builds a sense of home out of chaos whether it’s through a well-cooked meal, a clean room, or the warmth of presence — you are not outdated. You are not any less ambitious. You are the backbone that keeps everything else functioning.

Because homes don’t just happen. They are made.
And behind every “made home,” is someone whose love and labor deserve to be seen.

Heart Winning Moments From Jama Taqseem Defying Centuries Old Practices