Girls spend 160 million more hours on household work than boys. How does this affect their futures?

"Cinderella doing the dishes - 308/365" by David D licensed under CC BY 2.0
Cinderella doing the dishes – 308/365” by David D licensed under CC BY 2.0

Source: Quartz

On average, girls around the world from the ages of five to 14 spend 160 million more hours on household work compared to boys of the same age, according to a report by UNICEF.

In many countries, the individual number of hours that girls spend at home doing chores is significantly – and detrimentally – higher. In Somalia, Ethiopia and Rwanda, for example, girls of the ages 10 to 14 spend up to 26 hours doing household chores. That’s the equivalent of an internship for a college grad in California.

Many girls miss out on important and pivotal opportunities for education and growth, and also equally as concerning, their self-esteems are damaged early on as they begin to internalize that their work is inferior.

So what does that mean for girls’ futures?

That means girls have to give up opportunities to receive an education to be married off early, to have children of their own – a “never-ending cycle.” That means that girls cannot attain higher education. That means we are perpetuating stereotypes of the kind of work expected of women, and perpetuating the devaluation of girls’ accomplishments, contributions, talents and potentials.

Read full story at: Quartz

Children & Families, Education, News
Children & Families, Education, News