3 Malaysian couples who turn the page on traditional gender roles in marriage

The couple also share that they still experience gender biases in Japan and share that dismantling biases will take time and the conscious effort from everyone.—AZMAN GHANI/The Star

For Hendry Ng, 67, and his wife Catherine Choong, 65, the decision on which one of them should stay home and raise their two boys was a well-considered but easy one: Choong, who was always the bigger earner, had just set up her own law firm and so it seemed only logical that Ng become the houseparent.

“I was considered a househusband as I did not hold a full-time job and was always at home raising the kids,” says Ng. “To others it may not be, but to us it was a necessity to have one of us stay home with the children.