Girls’ Burden of Unpaid Care (2017)
This report forms part of Plan International’s ongoing research, Real Choices, Real Lives, and explores the gendered social rules and structures in girls’ home lives, relationships, and school activities.
This report forms part of Plan International’s ongoing research, Real Choices, Real Lives – a qualitative, longitudinal study following the lives of girls living in nine countries around the world: Benin, Brazil, Cambodia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Philippines, Togo, Uganda and Vietnam.
Real Choices, Real Lives has tracked the girls’ lives from their birth in 2006 – through their first steps, first words, first experiences of school, their developing independence as they progressed into middle childhood – and now, at age 11, their transition into early adolescence, their experiences of puberty and their developing understanding of the world around them and their role in it.
This report explores the gendered social rules and structures in girls’ home lives, relationships, and school activities. From an early age, the girls have been aware of difference expectations of what boys and girls should do – including their household responsibilities.
“Ah, boys study and play, and girls must help their mothers.”
Larissa, age 11, Brazil (2017)
Download the report
Girls' Burden of Unpaid Care – Executive Summary
36.41 mb
Girls' Burden of Unpaid Care (2017)
139.85 mb
Key findings:
Many of the girls spend a significant amount of time on chores – ranging from 30 minutes to more than five hours per day. The girls have also observed that they are expected to take on far more unpaid care work than their brothers, however many are socialised into believe that this is the ‘natural’ or ‘correct’ way that things should be.
“To be a good daughter, I should do housework and do what my parents want… Good girls behave well at home and do everything they are told to do… My parents make me and my sisters work much harder than my brothers and I think they’re right.”
Reine, age 11, Togo (2017)
Despite their parents having ambitious aspirations for the girls, they still view the domestic sphere as entirely ‘women’s work.’ Because of this, the girls are often expected to finish their duties before and after school, leaving many girls rushing to get to school and with little time for them to do their homework, play with friends, or rest. The reality of fitting education and schooling around household work and care responsibilities mean that the girls’ time to learn is seriously compromised.
This report finds that the girls often fall into categories of ‘acceptors’ – those who do not appear to question gender norms, ‘consenters’ – those who demonstrate attitudes that question gender norms but do not challenge them, and ‘resistors’ – those who challenge gender norms, both in their attitudes and behaviours.
“Girls are not given equal chances as the boys to go school… No, it’s not fair… Because the girls are left at home working as the boys go to school.”
Miremba, age 10, Uganda (2017)
Related pages
