US-based Indian mom faces backlash for preparing a week’s meal in advance: ‘New generation is turning out to be more misogynist’ – The Indian Express

A Case Study on Domestic Innovation and its Intersection with Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction

An online initiative by a US-based Indian content creator, Madhavi, has become a focal point for discussions on domestic labor, gender roles, and sustainable living. After posting a video demonstrating a meal preparation technique for an entire week, she faced a significant public backlash, which in turn sparked a counter-movement of support. This report analyzes the incident through the framework of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), highlighting the connections between a simple household hack and global objectives for equality and well-being.

Analysis of the Initiative in the Context of SDGs

Methodology and Intended Impact

The content creator demonstrated the preparation of a week’s worth of vegetarian meals, including palak roti, dal fry, and vegetable lasagna, in just over one hour. The stated goal was to provide a practical time-saving solution for individuals with demanding schedules, such as:

• Students
• Working professionals
• New mothers

This approach is particularly relevant in contexts like the United States, where access to domestic help is limited compared to other regions.

Direct Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

The meal preparation strategy directly supports several key SDGs:

1. SDG 5: Gender Equality: The core of the controversy relates to this goal. The initiative challenges the traditional and unequal burden of unpaid care and domestic work placed upon women. By offering a method to drastically reduce daily cooking time, it empowers women to reclaim time for professional, educational, or personal development, thereby addressing a key barrier to gender equality. The negative reactions underscore the societal resistance to redistributing or reducing this gendered labor.
2. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: Pre-planning and preparing balanced, home-cooked meals ensures access to nutritious food throughout the week. This practice promotes physical health and contributes to mental well-being by reducing the daily stress and decision fatigue associated with meal planning and cooking.
3. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth: By optimizing household management, individuals can better balance domestic responsibilities with professional commitments. The time saved is a valuable resource that can be invested in career advancement, contributing to personal economic empowerment and supporting the principle of a sustainable work-life balance.
4. SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production: The practice of meal prepping encourages conscious consumption. Planning meals for a week leads to structured grocery shopping, which can significantly reduce food waste from spoiled produce and impulse purchases, aligning with the goal of halving per capita global food waste.

Public Reaction and Societal Implications

Negative Feedback and its Relation to SDG 5

The creator received substantial criticism, which can be categorized as follows:

• Accusations of laziness and providing “stale” food to her family.
• Claims that the practice violates traditional Ayurvedic principles.
• General condemnation for not cooking fresh meals on a daily basis.

This backlash is indicative of entrenched social norms that perpetuate gender inequality (SDG 5). The criticism largely ignored the value of a woman’s time and labor, reflecting a privileged perspective that presumes the availability of a woman (or domestic help) to perform daily, time-intensive household chores.

Support and Advocacy for Gender Equality

A strong wave of support emerged to defend the creator and her methodology. Supporters, including author Krish Ashok and various online communities, framed the issue as one of misogyny and unrecognized female labor. Key arguments in support included:

• The initiative acknowledges the immense and often invisible labor that goes into household management.
• For working women, such efficiency is a necessity, not a choice or a sign of laziness.
• The criticism came predominantly from those who fail to recognize their own privilege or contribute to household labor.

This counter-narrative actively promotes the objectives of SDG 5 by calling for the recognition, reduction, and redistribution of unpaid care work.

Conclusion

The case of Madhavi’s meal-prepping video serves as a powerful illustration of how modern domestic innovations are intrinsically linked to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals. The initiative itself offers a practical strategy for achieving greater efficiency and well-being, directly contributing to SDG 3, SDG 8, and SDG 12. More significantly, the ensuing public debate brought the challenges of SDG 5 into sharp focus, exposing the cultural and social barriers that continue to hinder gender equality. The controversy highlights that progress towards a sustainable future requires not only technological or systemic changes but also a fundamental shift in societal attitudes towards the value of women’s time and labor.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article highlights issues that are directly and indirectly connected to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The primary connections are to gender equality, decent work, and responsible consumption.

• SDG 5: Gender Equality

  This is the most prominent SDG in the article. The backlash Madhavi received is explicitly linked to gender stereotypes and misogyny. The criticism that she is “lazy” for not cooking fresh meals daily reflects societal expectations placed on women regarding domestic labor. The support she received also highlights this, with one user noting the “zero acknowledgement for the labour women (wife/mom/domestic help) that goes into it” and another pointing out the expectation for her to work a “full-time 2nd shift for household chores.” The article explicitly states that Krish Ashok helped “call out the misogyny driving much of the hate.”

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  The article touches upon the theme of unpaid domestic work, which is a critical component of the broader economy and affects women’s participation in the formal workforce. The meal prep hack is presented as a solution for “busy folks like students, working professionals, and new moms,” acknowledging that managing household chores is a significant time commitment that impacts their professional and personal lives. The comment about women being expected to have a “full-time 2nd shift” directly relates to the challenge of balancing paid work with the disproportionate burden of unpaid domestic labor, which is a barrier to achieving decent work for all.

• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

  While the social conflict is the main focus, the practice of meal prepping itself is a direct example of responsible consumption at the household level. By planning and preparing meals for an entire week, individuals can purchase ingredients more precisely and utilize them fully, which helps in reducing food waste. Madhavi’s video, showing her preparing “palak roti to dal fry and veg lasagna” for the week, is a practical demonstration of sustainable consumption patterns.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the issues discussed, the following specific SDG targets can be identified:

• Target 5.4: Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work

  This target aims to “Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work through the provision of public services, infrastructure and social protection policies and the promotion of shared responsibility within the household and the family.” The article’s core conflict revolves around the value of domestic work. The negative comments (“lazy,” “stale food”) devalue Madhavi’s labor-saving solution, while supporters explicitly point to the “zero acknowledgement for the labour women” and the expectation of a “2nd shift for household chores.” Madhavi’s meal prep is a strategy to manage and reduce the burden of this unpaid work.

• Target 12.3: Halve per capita global food waste

  This target aims to “By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels.” Madhavi’s practice of prepping “meals worth an entire week” is a direct strategy to manage food resources efficiently at the consumer level. This method of planning and cooking in bulk can significantly reduce the likelihood of fresh ingredients spoiling and minimize leftover food, thereby contributing to the goal of reducing household food waste.

• Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership

  This target seeks to “Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life.” The “misogyny driving much of the hate” against Madhavi for sharing her expertise in a public online space (Instagram) is a barrier to women’s full and safe participation in public life. The backlash is an attempt to police her choices and silence her voice, which runs counter to this target.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article does not provide quantitative data but implies several qualitative and quantitative indicators for measuring progress.

• Indicator for Target 5.4: Proportion of time spent on unpaid domestic and care work (Indicator 5.4.1)

  The article implies this indicator through its discussion of time and labor. Madhavi’s ability to prep a week’s meals in “just over an hour” is a quantifiable measure of time spent on a domestic task. The criticism she faces is rooted in the expectation that women should spend a significant amount of time daily on cooking. The phrase “full-time 2nd shift” implies a high proportion of time dedicated to unpaid work. Progress could be measured by a reduction in the time women spend on such chores, facilitated by methods like meal prepping or a more equitable sharing of tasks.

• Indicator for Target 12.3: Food waste at the consumer level (part of Indicator 12.3.1)

  Madhavi’s video demonstrating a week’s worth of prepared meals is a practical example of a food waste reduction strategy. While the article doesn’t give numbers on food saved, the method itself is an action that directly impacts the amount of food wasted in a household. The promotion and adoption of such practices could serve as a qualitative indicator of progress toward reducing consumer food waste.

• Indicator for Target 5.5: Online harassment and misogyny as a barrier to public participation

  While not a formal UN statistical indicator, the article provides clear evidence of a significant barrier to women’s participation in public life. The “unexpected backlash,” being “slammed by many netizens,” and the “misogyny driving much of the hate” are qualitative indicators of the challenges women face online. Tracking the prevalence of such online abuse against women who take on public-facing roles (even as content creators) is a way to measure the environment for women’s participation in the digital public sphere.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: indianexpress.com