Women work four years more than men during their lifetime
Women around the world spend an extra month more every year working on paid and unpaid labour than their male peers, according to a report by ActionAid.
The report, “Not Ready, Still Waiting” was presented at the United Nations general assembly on Thursday.
It found that women living in the UK can expect to do two and a half years more labour that men over their working lives.
“Women’s labour – in and outside the home – is vital to sustainable development and for the wellbeing of society. Without the subsidy it provides, the world economy would not function. Yet it is undervalued and for the most part invisible” said Chief Executive of ActionAid UK Girish Menon.
It highlighted the burden of unpaid work on women and how it limited their opportunities to pursue income-generating options, be involved in decision-making and political activities and for rest and leisure.
“ActionAid believes women’s unpaid work should be recognised, reduced and redistributed – between women and men, and between the household and the state” said Menon.
Unpaid care work includes all activities involved in maintaining a household and caring for others in the community like cooking, cleaning and taking care of the ill and elderly.
After analysing 217 developed and developing countries the charity found that women’s average additional hours of unpaid work worldwide over the global life expectancy for women, which is 69 years old came to an estimated 23 working years.
The charity is calling for governments, especially in developing countries, to deliver quality public care services, pay equal pay and family-friendly workplace legislation and agree minimum living wages among other solutions.