'A Room of One's Own': What's the parallel to a man cave?

It's 7pm and you just got home after a long day's work—the laundry beckons, and the dishes clamour for attention.

You have a report due the next morning.

At 10pm after taking care of the chores you come to your room to realise the children have turned it into a Legoland and you, into your worst nightmares.

It's 12am, you are too tired to think and start dozing off.

It's after midnight and the report remains untouched.

The burden of chores trumping over everything else is nothing new.

Now let's time travel to nine decades back, writer Virginia Woolf in one of her essays suggests that a woman who wishes to write must have a room of her own, which is just a way of saying that she needs a personal physical space and financial independence to obtain it.

In a world where a concept like man caves exists, why isn't there a similar equivalent for a woman?

For ages, men had studies, home offices, or even libraries for them to immerse themselves in intellectual and creative pursuits.

Where is the place for women to unwind and focus on other intellectual pursuits?

In her 1929 essay "A Room of One's Own" Woolf addresses the need for a space where women can unwind and write.

She uses metaphors and elaborates on numerous analogies to depict the prevailing social expectations that relegated women to the roles of mere domestic caretakers and dismissed their intellectual capabilities.

During the Victorian era, women across the globe had minimal personal space, often reduced to second-class status within their own homes. Their primary role revolved around caregiving and tending to the needs of family members, leaving little time for personal pursuits

Therefore women's inclusion in the economy or recognition within the literary sphere, as perceived by Woolf was limited. They didn't have the time or the financial ability to attain a place for themselves.

Today things have changed quite a lot. As of 2019, 54.39% of US authors were female and 45.61% were male.

If there is some sort of parity that has been achieved, are Woolf's arguments in any way relevant in the modern context? What value does it hold for us?

In our quest to find answers we first need to understand what it means to have "a room of one's own." It is just being able to have the four walls just to yourself? Or it is more broad like having the financial ability or the societal freedom to prioritize your work without getting distracted every two seconds. 

In the Western world, women do have these rights to choose for them however, in the sub-continental context women still don't have the financial ability as a man.

Even when they have the financial part covered they are chained by different societal stereotypes that take their right to choose away from them.

Financially independent women are empowered to pursue their interests, make informed decisions, and create better futures for themselves and their families.

Let's say women have financial independence, has that freed them from the burden of household chores? And the extra responsibilities?

According to the Time Use Survey 2021 by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, women spend eight times as much time as men on domestic and caregiving tasks. The report reveals that while men allocate approximately 1.6 hours per day to these activities, women spend an average of 11.7 hours, which amounts to almost half of their day.

Even if we say that men in our lives are finally starting to help out more around the house, is it enough for women to have the space for themselves to work peacefully without interruption?

While women living in the urban areas have been able to voice their needs. What about the ones living in rural areas?

As per the IDLC's Business Review article, the notion of women's empowerment and financial independence is gaining traction in urban regions of Bangladesh, but advancements in promoting women's empowerment are progressing at a slower pace in rural areas.

While the developed countries paint a different picture, globally women are still financially insolvent compared to their male partners. Basic needs like having a space for themselves seem unattainable.

Therefore, 92 years later Woolf's arguments still stand, at least in the context of South Asian women.

They still struggle to explore their identities because of a lack of privacy and control that is exercised upon their most fundamental rights.

The burden of care still primarily falls onto the shoulders of women, and their careers are hindered as they continue sharing individual responsibilities over their children.

Can creativity and a peace of mind prevail when you are constantly asked to keep your guard up?