Men want to do more housework, but are afraid of social condemnation – survey
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Most men around the world want to contribute to household duties, but entrenched societal expectations and lack of support discourage them from doing so. This is evidenced by the report “The State of Parents in the World 2023”, prepared by the US non-governmental organization Equimundo, reports The Guardian. During the preparation of the report, nearly 12,000 men, women, and gender-diverse people were interviewed in countries such as Colombia, Rwanda, South Africa, Australia, Ireland, China, and the United States. Between 70 and 90 percent of men in 16 of the 17 countries surveyed said they felt the same responsibility for looking after the home as their female partners. More than 80% of respondents believe that boys should be taught to do household chores and take care of children. Photo: michaeljung/Depositphotos The only exception was India, where only 25% of men feel the same responsibility as their partners when it comes to housework and childcare. “Our results show what we already suspected: men love and want to care, especially for children,” said Tavishi Gupta, director of research at Equimundo NGO. However, unequal pay and discriminatory government policies mean that in some countries women still do up to 7 times more unpaid care work. Globally, men spend only 19% of their time on unpaid housework, while women spend 55% of it. Men who want to increase the load at home are held back by the prejudiced attitude of society, which is not ready to see them in the role of caregivers. “On average, men around the world earn higher wages than women. As a result, many families find that a man’s better-paid work brings more to the household than men’s housework,” said Gary Barker, CEO of Equimundo One of the key strategies recommended in the report, there is equal parental leave for fathers and mothers. “We don’t want women’s leave to be cut, instead we want men’s leave to be extended,” Barker said. 85% of parents surveyed said paid parental leave would benefit their partners and children, but many reported barriers at work and in the community. Of the fathers and mothers surveyed who didn’t take all the parental leave they were offered, 40% said it was because they were afraid of losing their jobs, 36% cited lack of support from their bosses, and 18% worried about judgment from friends and family.
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