‘Homemaker’ is a gender-neutral term: What did the Karnataka High Court say?
The court observed that every woman who renders services to her family members at home is liable to be regarded as a “homemaker” irrespective of the fact that she holds higher a qualification, let it be a degree, postgraduate degree or a doctorate
In a recent judgment, the Karnataka High Court has declared that a "homemaker" is a term that applies to both men and women. The court made this ruling in the context of a motor accident compensation dispute with the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) following a 2013 bus accident. The claimant, an educated woman with a Master's in Biotechnology and a prior job as a guest lecturer, was awarded ₹4.55 lakh in compensation by the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal in Bengaluru for her injuries.
However, KSRTC argued that her higher education disqualified her from being considered a homemaker. The court disagreed, stating that any individual who tirelessly strives, showers unconditional love, sacrifices personal comfort, and becomes a pillar for a happy and stable family is a homemaker. This definition applies regardless of whether the woman is employed or stays at home.
The court also noted that the term "homemaker" is gender-neutral, covering male homemakers as well. The disability suffered by the claimant, which is permanent, had affected her ability to perform household responsibilities, and the court took this into account while determining the compensation. In an effort to standardize the recognition of homemakers, the Supreme Court has mandated that in motor accident claims involving the death of a homemaker, a separate head of "loss of domestic care" must be included in the compensation calculation.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
