Soldiers of a different kind

I am yet to come across a person who does not respect the heroic "Soldier". The soldier serves their assigned territory from known or unknown elements, protects citizens from enemies, helps citizens in unpleasant or life threatening situations like floods, famines, etc, and yet never asks for any favours from those that they protect. A selfless, do-good persona - that is the kind of imagery that lights up in our mind when we think of "soldiers". And, this is so true, to a great extent!

Yet, it makes me completely nervous and angry when society does not accord similar respect to another kind of soldiers- the woman home-makers. They are mothers for some, wives for some others, daughter-in-laws for others. Their very existence, in many cases, is of low to zero significance, in the minds of the people who surround them - husbands, parents or children. And I wonder why.

The average woman is the soldier of her house - her territory. She tirelessly and selflessly, protects her territory against known and unknown enemies (fever, mosquitoes, etc), serves the entire family, takes care of daily chores, and ensures hygiene factors (to the best of her knowledge) are met. And, asks for no favour in return from any of the citizens (her family members). 

Unfortunately, the society takes this for granted and largely ignores the women who sacrifice their self interests for the family. It is important to recognize the contributions of these soldiers so that they remain inspired. Remember, a society that does not honor its soldiers is doomed to fail.