Gaby
There is still a significant imbalance in the distribution of household responsibilities between men and women around the world. In some countries, women perform three to seven times more household tasks than men, particularly when it comes to childcare.
The Equimundo Center for Masculinity and Social Justice, based in Washington, D.C., believes that one of the key prerequisites for gender equality is the active involvement of men and boys in household duties. Recently, the center conducted a survey focusing on the role of fathers in childcare and other domestic responsibilities.
Experts surveyed 12,000 men and women, many of whom are parents, across 17 countries. The survey primarily focused on who in the family takes care of children and other dependents, as well as what people in these countries think about the division of household responsibilities between genders, according to phys.org.
Most men who participated in the survey reported that they engage in childcare and are willing to do more. However, they face numerous obstacles, including social norms. While the study’s results indicate progress, the pace of change remains slow.
Men Are Becoming More Responsible for Childcare
Despite positive shifts, the unequal distribution of caregiving responsibilities between men and women traditionally hinders women from securing well-paying jobs.
According to estimates from the International Labour Organization, in 2018, 606 million working-age women were unable to enter the workforce due to household duties. This burden has negatively impacted women’s physical and mental well-being.
The new survey revealed that mothers still bear a large share of household chores, such as cleaning, physical and emotional care for children, cooking, and caring for their partners. In all 17 countries surveyed, women reported that they care for children 1.32 times more and clean their homes 1.36 times more than men.
However, fathers from countries like Argentina, Ireland, China, Croatia, and Rwanda also reported dedicating significant time to various unpaid household tasks.
The authors of the study attribute these shifts to several factors, including the impact of COVID-19, evolving gender norms related to childcare, and updated parental leave policies.
In 15 countries, 70-90 percent of men agreed with the statement: “I feel just as responsible for caregiving as my partner.”
Encouragingly, in countries like South Africa (85%) and Rwanda (93%), men disagreed with the statement: “Boys should not be taught to sew, cook, clean, and care for their siblings.”
Willingness to Share Responsibilities Depends on Emotional Maturity
Men who were more emotionally mature and open to seeking emotional support were two to eight times more likely to assist a family member than those who struggled with their emotions.
Interestingly, those men who spent more time on household duties reported feeling better both emotionally and physically. Those who expressed satisfaction with their involvement in parenting were 1.5 times more likely to agree with the statement: “I am the person I always wanted to be.” They also reported feeling more gratitude for how their lives turned out compared to respondents who did not feel satisfied with their parenting.
The study found that women were more likely than men to express concerns about childcare policies, healthcare, and gender equality in their countries. The rising cost of living worried a majority of both genders, although women focused on this issue slightly more often (58%) than men (53%).
The vast majority of respondents reported participating in initiatives aimed at improving childcare policies. Seventy-four percent discussed the issue with friends and family, while 39% of women and 36% of men signed online petitions.
