Spanish Government Launches App to Push Men to Do House Chores More

John Lopez, Tech Times 19 May 2023, 11:05 am

In an effort to tackle gender inequalities in household responsibilities, the Spanish government is set to unveil a revolutionary app that aims to inspire men to take on a fair share of domestic chores, The Guardian reports.

This solution, soon to be released, will track the time each household member spends on various tasks, shining a light on the often-overlooked mental load women carry.

An App Redistributing Household Chores

The announcement of the app came from Ángela Rodríguez, Spain's secretary of state for equality, during a session of the UN Committee on eliminating discrimination against women in Geneva.

Rodríguez stressed the necessity of redistributing the burden of household chores and highlighted that the app would enable families to monitor the hours invested in housework, leading to a more equitable distribution of tasks.

Rodriguez gave examples like making sure there was enough dish soap to do the dishes or ensuring the fridge had enough food to make dinner instead of saying "cook" and "clean."

Boasting a budget of €211,750, the app's primary objective is to ensure that every family member contributes their fair share of domestic work.

Rodríguez emphasized that the app could be utilized within households, between roommates, or even by life partners, as the division of household chores often tilts towards inequality.

Beyond addressing the division of labor, the app also seeks to raise awareness about the unseen tasks required to maintain a household.

App Facing Criticism

In response to critics of the plan, Rodríguez took to Twitter, stating, "Ah, privileges. What those who are annoyed by the chore-sharing app are really annoyed about is the possibility of having to start doing their bit at home."

Speaking of the disparities, data from UN Women suggest that women in Spain devote 19 percent of their time to unpaid care and domestic labor, while males devote 8.6 percent.

The app is a key component of the equality ministry's shared responsibilities plan, a comprehensive set of public policies aimed at promoting gender equality.

The ministry's vision is to create inclusive care systems that consider gender, intersectionality, and human rights, fostering shared responsibility among individuals, the state, the market, families, and the community.

Spain's Problem with Household Chores Gender Disparity

A survey conducted by Spain's National Statistics Institute in the previous year uncovered a striking gender disparity in the distribution of household chores.

The study revealed that 45.9% of women were primarily responsible for domestic tasks, while only 14.7% of men shouldered the majority of chores. Moreover, 1.5% of women did not regularly participate in household tasks, compared to 12.6% of men.

With the launch of this groundbreaking app, the Spanish government is determined to tackle the deeply rooted gender imbalance in domestic responsibilities.

By providing a tool that quantifies and visualizes the allocation of household tasks, they aspire to foster a fairer and more equal division of labor within Spanish homes.

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