Speaking on a case concerning the grant of maintenance in a marital dispute, the Delhi High Court dismissed the myth of the ‘idle’ wife. The high court made a distinction between ‘capable of earning’ and ‘actually earning’ in setting aside the denial of maintenance by the magistrate and appellate courts. Hearteningly, the Delhi High Court emphasised the economic value of the contribution made by a wife through her labour for the functioning of the household, even though the wife’s labour does not show in bank statements or tax reports. The value of a wife’s work, however, goes beyond the economic. It is time that the myth of the idle wife was decisively dismissed, and not by a high court alone.

Source: The Telegraph March 04, 2026 14:56 UTC