Why don’t we hang out with relaxed women? – 01/26/2024 – Laura Machado

“I haven’t been around relaxed women. Successful women? Yes. Productive women? Many. Anxious? Several. But relaxed women, without fear of taking up space in the world? Women who allow themselves to relax without feeling guilty? I’m not sure if I’ve ever met such a woman,” wrote British author and consultant Nicola Jane Hobbs.

There are many explanations for this state of tension. Let’s focus on one of them: the division of domestic tasks between men and women.

All adults who work for an income are expected to take care of their homes and families. Within each family, agreements, tacit or not, are made to segment these tasks. Such contracts are certainly greatly influenced by social expectations, individual preferences and responses to labor market incentives.

In 2024, with the intensification of the discussion on gender equality, where are we? What is the current picture of young couples’ choices regarding the division of time between domestic chores and economic work?

I considered couples between 25 and 44 years old because they are more exposed to and potentially influenced by the debate on gender inequality. Although norms and freedom of choice regarding women’s reproductive rights have advanced, what is observed is that, on average, women work significantly more than men.

According to the PNAD (National Household Sample Survey) of 2022, analyzing only heterosexual couples in which both work, the portrait of the division of time between economic and domestic work is very unequal: adding the time between the two types of activity, Women work, on average, around 58 hours a week, 6% more than men, with 55 hours.

Women work 39 hours in economic work, while men work 44 hours. In the division of domestic tasks, they take on 19 hours a week, while men, 11 hours.

It draws attention to the fact that, when it comes to the hours dedicated to domestic tasks, women allocate twice as much time: one more day of work per week, 8 hours.

Considering the different nature of the activities, it is to be expected that managing both jobs involves a degree of complexity. Therefore, it is not surprising that the unequal division has emotional effects, overload of work and generates stress, in addition to a feeling of injustice, especially since the diagnosis occurs among young couples.

For public policy, the implications are many. One solution, but not the only one, is the signal coming from the job market and the government that women are as valued and welcome as men in terms of salaries and leadership positions.

With this clear signage, couples can allocate time to domestic tasks on an equal basis in relation to the job market.

Companies’ public transparency policies regarding their decisions, classified by gender, regarding salaries and promotions also have great potential. The practice would allow society to assess whether it provides the conditions it wants to see in the market.

Without a doubt, the first and second levels of the federal government, the most visible in the country, with 9 women in 38 ministries, maintain the status quo and reiterate the message to families: the President of the Republic, his base allies and the market of work still don’t see that we are competitive with our male colleagues. This scenario of injustice is not at all relaxing.

I agree with Hobbs, founder of “The Relaxed Woman” (“The Relaxed Woman”, a consultancy dedicated to women). I’m not sure I’ve ever met women who give themselves permission to relax without feeling guilty, but I’d like to become one. I wish we all could do it.

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