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Research Journal of the University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka- Rohana 11, 2019

Box 01. Case-01, a 32-year-old woman in Badungoda Colony

“My husband helps me by what he can do I too ask him to do what is suitable for him.
Otherwise

he doesn’t perform all the work of children by himself alone.”

Source: Field Study, 2014/2016.

That is as a “helping hand” and not with the idea of dividing kitchen tasks equally
between the two. Specially, the educational level of husbands and their status of the

employment limit the helping work in kitchen. Furthermore, women of lower class
have voiced about their men being drunk during the night (see box. no. 02 and 03).

Even when they stay at home during daytime, they would not help in kitchen tasks.

A Woman commented as getting down their food stuff from the boutique, during

their stay in the hospital (see box 03). Small boys help their mothers reluctantly as
they think such work is considered women’s tasks (see box 03). Hence the food

preparation task and cleaning work of kitchen ‘division’ have been reserved for
women.

Box 02. Case-o1, 32-year-old woman in Badungoda Colony

“I do all our cooking; my two daughters are going to school. They help me
in preparing. Moreover, my son (11 years) does some work if I asked him to

do. Even he can do some little tasks only. My husband only comes to help me
in my cooking whenever I fall ill. For all that he comes home after taking

alcohol then I cannot speak to him anything.”

Source: Field Study, 2014/2016.

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