The Supreme Court has delivered a ruling recognising the economic value of women who manage households, countering the common remark that women at home are “idle”. The court observed that women running families are not merely homemakers but contributors to nation-building.
In motor accident death compensation cases, the court said the loss of a homemaker’s work should be assessed on par with a person earning Rs 30,000 per month, and compensation should be calculated accordingly. The ruling is expected to serve as a guiding precedent in similar claims.
Homemakers in Tiruppur welcomed the decision, saying it gives long-overdue recognition to round-the-clock domestic labour and caregiving. They noted that such work sustains families and indirectly supports the wider economy.
Several women also said the judgment challenges a social mindset that reduces unpaid household work to “no income” and offers reassurance to families who lose a mother or wife in an accident. They described it as a step toward dignity and a corrective to long-standing undervaluation of women’s contribution at home.
