A discussion on whether a husband who stops his wife from going off every morning to work to become a housewife should pay her an equivalent of what she would be earning has been raging for sometime. One of the tabloids reported that most good looking Kampala women driving very fancy cars never went to work anywhere. That their husbands paid them an allowance every month to take care of the children and the home while the husband toiled away at work.
Most of these husbands are the wealthy government ministers or high ranking public officials who are often offered government vehicles, at the same time beyond average salaries.
Different people offer their views on how they would handle this same situation. Majority of women surveyed in the Observer love the idea of staying at home and getting paid for it.
Ladies first:
Donnah Midigo, 22, Student
Women have personal needs and provided it is the man demanding that she remains a housewife regardless of her academically acquired skills then he must pay her a salary as compensation. If he does not, then be sure she will get a side-kick to provide the cheque.
Another lady totally proposing a different perspective:
Hadija Nassuna, 25, Therapist
The husband must never pay his wife a salary. Instead he should give her money to use for her personal needs. The money should not be sanctioned but it should be out of her husband’s will so that she can work on her hair and body, and also cater for the children’s immediate needs.
And now the guys:
Innocent Turyatemba, 29, student
If the man is rich and decides to stop his wife from working, then he must pay her every month so that she can cater for her needs. When a man stops his wife from working, he must know that he has a bigger burden to foot each need of hers that she would otherwise have addressed herself if she was working.
These last two are my favourites. A quote from the Bible always in handy quite so easily in our society.
Vincent Musisi, 26, Music Producer
In the Bible it is written categorically that a woman will be a man’s helper and by doing the house work, she is aiding my efforts as I look for money for the family. I cannot pay her a salary when she is a house-wife if she decides to be. If I did, what would I pay the house-girl?
Stephen Jude, 23, Music Producer
Honestly why would I have to pay my wife a salary because she is a housewife? When I am married to her, she is my companion and not my worker. She does the housework for the good of the family and not me alone. I can only pay an employee but my wife is not a house girl. Anyway I cannot stop my wife from working and above all I am supposed to provide for her not pay her a salary.
Now you can take a stand. What would it be, pay your wife an allowance or salary to stay at home? Or let her way and contribute to the family purse?
