“The different image of man” photography exhibition was held in Drik Gallery, Dhanmondi area House 58, Road 15A (new) Dhaka-1209 on September 30 to October 4, 2017 from morning 11:00 am to 8:00 pm. This exhibition was curated by A S M Rezaur Rahman and installed by Drik Gallery. This exhibition breaks the stereotype notions of gender roles in Bangladesh patriarchal society by portraying men with house hold activities.
In our society work is unpaid and under-valued, and is stereotypically seen as women's work. Cleaning, child caring for the sick and elderly, cocking, fetching water and fuel, washing clothes etc. In the eyes of society this are jobs for women, men do not, and should not, participate. But in this photo exhibition we can see different images of men. They breaks the idea of patriarchal society. We can see, men's are taking the housework as their responsibility not to helping women, providing child care, helping their wives and mother and doing all type of housework willingly.
Mr. Amir Hossain (45) is one of them who breaks the patriarchal idea. He lives in Monshigonj with his wife and and their three children. He works in a low paid job with private company. He believes household work is not the sole responsibility of women and he shares household chores with his wife regularly. He thinks that for the man in today's society, being involved in household work shouldn't be considered anything extraordinary.
Suhrid Chakma (48), a business men in Khagrachari's Milonpur area, is the only earning member of the family. His middle class family has three members. He helps his wife regularly in household work. Suhrid says "it is never possible to do all the household work alone in the morning, I help my son get ready for the school and drop him at school. Than I go to the shop. When my work is completed I go back home and assist my wife. If one of us become sick, we help each other. My participations in household chores saves us both time and expense”.
Nazmul (23) is a university student lives in Dhaka with his mother. However his mother is affected by osteoporosis and is unable to do most work. Nazmul's elder brother lives in Australia and provides money for the family. Nazmul lives in the same apartment as his sick mother. Nazmul does all the work for his family.
The event want to send a message to the people to change the thinking. Household work also for men and it is not a matter of shame but it is a matter of responsibility to the family. The event was inaugurated by Honorable Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith and Nasima Begum the Minister of ‘Women and Child sector’. And she commented that, it’s a good project to showing men doing household work by shouldering women that it’s a valuable work which is not that much easy.