Brazilian women still more likely to work at home

World Today

Brazilian women are slowly narrowing the wage gap. But they still have a way to go in changing societal expectations especially when it comes to house work.

CCTV America’s Paulo Cabral reports.

According to 2015 data released by the country’s statistics bureau, women performed an average of slightly more than 20 (20.5) hours per week of household work, double the load of men (10). The disparity has more or less remained the same since 2004 (22.3 hours per week for women and 10 hours for men) despite changes in gender relations in other areas.

The researcher who studies the issue of gender equality said women who have gained greater access to education have made gains in society but more often at home than the office.

It was once common for women to stay home as housewives, cooking and cleaning for their families while men had jobs to provide for them financially. Now, more women than ever are working outside the home. And, for many, that means a double shift.