Girls aged 5-14 spend 550 million hours per day on household chores, 160 million more than boys their age.
It’s an inequality in every country in the world. Women and girls spend millions more hours on domestic care than men, putting aside almost all of their own time to care for others.
Girls are more likely to miss school and stay at home to care for younger siblings. Time spent on chores limits girls' opportunities to enjoy the pleasures of childhood, to play, build social networks, and focus on their education, while also affecting their mental health and development.
This continues into adulthood with women taking on an unequal burden of childcare, looking after elderly family members, and doing the majority of domestic chores like cooking and cleaning that prevent millions from following dream careers, creative hobbies, or achieving economic independence.
This silent burden has gone on for too long. Are you a woman or a girl who has this experience? Or do you see female family members being held back?
Leave a message about your experience with unpaid care and how it has affected you or your female family members.
We’ll be sharing the most powerful messages directly with world leaders to demand better support, equality, and opportunities for women and girls everywhere.