Emmanuel Inyanza

 Women and Caregiving Name: Institute Affiliated: Date: Women and Caregiving Both men and women are called to serve in different roles. In some situations, there are roles which are to be played explicitly by a particular gender while in other instances, some tasks can be carried out by any gender. Various factors such as globalization and women empowerment have resulted in the change of roles, with women taking up more tasks, including those previously thought to be played only by men. Over the years, with more changes occurring in society, women are looked at as being more kin keepers and caregivers than men. Caregiving The term caregiver refers to an individual who performs various tasks that include caring for and offering support to vulnerable individuals in society (Sharma, Chakrabarti & Grover, 2016). Vulnerable individuals include the elderly, sick, the disabled, as well as children. Most cultures have given the caregiving responsibility to adult women. Approximately sixty-eight per cent of the caregivers across the world are adult women (Sharma, Chakrabarti & Grover, 2016). Women as Caregivers and Kinkeepers Women are considered to possess a caring and loving character, as compared to men, who are mostly thought of as possessing correctional characteristics (Swinkels et al., 2019). Thus, the role of caregiving can be better carried out by women. Studies reveal that women provide care to detail; they carry out caregiving to their young ones and the vulnerable in the society much better, giving attention to every detail and making sure those to be cared for are comfortable. Caregiving duties result in both physical and mental stress to the caregivers. Compared to men, women can handle the stress associated with caregiving much better. Sharma, Chakrabarti & Grover (2016) observe that men tend to give up more quickly on caregiving duties, unlike women. Societal norms also play a role in designating women and not men as the best caregivers. In most societies, men are seen as primary providers. They are tasked with duties of providing for the family. On the other hand, women are tasked with caregiving responsibilities, and as the main unifying factor in homes (Swinkels et al., 2019). Caregiving as a Blessing and as a Burden Caregiving is both a blessing and a burden to women. Women caregivers are a blessing because of their loving and caring nature. Women caregivers provide excellent care to the vulnerable members in society. Vulnerable individuals require proper care and attention, something that is better done by women. Men can give up easily when faced by difficult caregiving tasks which may overwhelm them, leaving the vulnerable at risk. On the other hand, women are known to be strong; they can withstand both the physical and mental pressure that comes about with caregiving (Swinkels et al., 2019). This unique characteristic is a blessing, not only to the women caregivers but also to the vulnerable members of the society. Caregiving is also a burden to women. Caregiving requires great sacrifice. To effectively carry out the caregiving role, women have to forego vital essentials such as rest and other social activities. In situations where the vulnerable are very weak and require attention all the time, women caregivers barely get rest; neither do they enjoy their social life like other people (Swinkels et al., 2019). They are required to be present at all times, responding to the needs of vulnerable individuals; this can have detrimental effects on women. References Sharma, N., Chakrabarti, S., & Grover, S. (2016). Gender differences in caregiving among family-caregivers of people with mental illnesses. World journal of psychiatry, 6(1), 7. Swinkels, J., Tilburg, T. V., Verbakel, E., & Broese van Groenou, M. (2019). Explaining the gender gap in the caregiving burden of partner caregivers. The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 74(2), 309-317.