Indian women have moved into the
workforce in an unmistakable wave. In modern societies today, many of them bear
the dual burden of managing the home and a career. The infrastructure necessary
to help them: crèches, dependable childcare, help from husbands, gadgets to
make housework easier, is not yet in place. This generation of transitional
women is at high risk from heart disease, particularly during the menopausal
years. Statistics show that women have fifty per cent chance of dying of heart
disease, ten times higher than their risk of dying of breast cancer.
The traditional shock absorber of
the family, particularly in Indian families is the woman. Dual responsibilities
have reduced her capacity to perform this role. Her ability to absorb and
reduce tensions has been greatly compromised. The tensions building up in a
nuclear family can have a negative impact on health. The two-income family
brings an increased pay check, while insidiously increasing the risk factors
for heart disease. Huge reserves of patience are required to cope with this
new, changed family structure. Most do not have these reserves.
As women climb to higher levels
of the corporate ladder, alternative strategies have to be found to maintain
the nurturing capacity of the family. Only joint efforts by the couple and the
involvement of elders and the extended family, or community support can
adequately fill this gap. This is a never-discussed pressure-cooker situation,
hazardous to health, lethal for the heart, building up in modern families.
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