Know how they say men are from Mars and women from Venus? Well, the difference in sexes applies to exercise and movement as well. Recent surveys conducted in India and the UK suggest that women are able to workout less frequently compared to men. And women who do manage to workout end up being interrupted more often by their partners, therefore working out for shorter periods or less effectively.
The no. 1 reason? Family responsibilities and household chores.
HOW INVISIBLE LABOUR EATS INTO WOMEN’S TIME
THE GREAT CHORE GAP
In different-sex partnerships, where both partners work outside the home, the bulk of housework continues to fall on the woman even today.
TIME INEQUALITY
Consequently, on average, men have 5 hours more of leisure time per week than women - equivalent to almost 11 full days, each year!
COGNITIVE & EMOTIONAL LABOUR
Women are also constantly planning, thinking and deciding what needs to be done, how, and by whom. This kind of labour is invisible, but it’s constant, and distracts them from paid work and leisure.
OFFICE HOUSEWORK
At offices, women are more often asked to take on “office housework” (non-promotable tasks such as taking notes, ordering cakes for parties, organising get togethers, etc.) which further eats into their time.
HOW EQUAL PARTNERSHIPS CAN HELP CHANGE THINGS
- Maintain a chore journal and split tasks fairly with your partner, just like you would at a paid job.
- Recognise that unpaid work is work too.
- Lobby for and make use of flexible workplace policies.
- Schedule workouts with your partner, so that both of you make the time for your health together.
- Talk. At the risk of being called a nag, tell your partner, kids and colleagues if you’re doing more than your share of work and have them pitch in more.
- Learn to say no.
- Channel your inner Elsa and let it go. Everything is not your job.
- Schedule time on your calendar for movement, like any other task. Make it (and yourself!) a priority.
- Assign office housework fairly among all colleagues (yes, even to your star performers).
- Establish some non-gendered workplace policies like no-meeting hours, so that everyone has the time to pick up kids from school, help around the house, etc.
- Empower managers to offer flexibility based on individual needs to establish real change.
