The tenth report from the European Institute for Gender Equality shows progress, widespread in Europe, towards a more balanced sharing of household tasks. But this improvement is more linked to new home help services and new technologies than to greater involvement of men.
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“Men must contribute more in the private sphere”, declared Wednesday October 25 on franceinfo the director of the Observatory of Inequalities, Louis Maurin, the day after the publication of the tenth report of the European Institute for Gender Equality. This 2023 Gender Equality Index notes a reduction in the volume of household responsibilities for women, which however results more from technological assistance and delegation to household help than from greater involvement of men in tasks. daily.
“It’s an old constant of this type of data”observes Louis Maurin, who recalls that “the arrival of the washing machine” did “save” a lot of time for women without men “get more involved”. Even if the European report notes “progress”particularly with regard to child care, in which fathers are investing more and more, the director of the Observatory of Inequalities notes that they are “all the more important” when they concern “rewarding tasks“. For example, men “cook for guests”while “daily cooking remains mainly the work of women”.
In order to reduce these gender gaps in household chores, Louis Maurin pleads for “an environment that allows the search for equality”. For example, “the schooling rate between two and three years has decreased”dimuntion which “weighs on women” despite repeated promises “at every election” to improve “childcare”. “With each mandate review, we realize that the promises have not been kept”deplores the director of the Observatory of Inequalities who denounces a “hypocrisy” and the “contrast” between “pro-equality speeches” of genres and “the results of public policies subsequently carried out”.