The app that tells wives if their men are doing enough HOUSEWORK: Spain launches tech to make sure chores are shared equally
- The app will enable people to log the number of hours they spend doing chores
- The new app will be released as part of the government’s ‘co-responsibility plan’
Spain has announced plans for an app that will tell wives if their men are doing enough housework.
The new app intends to address the gender imbalance of housework and will log the hours a family member spends doing chores.
Ángela Rodríguez, Spain’s minister for gender equality and domestic violence, said her department was in the process of developing the free app.
The minister said it would enable men and women to log the number of hours they spend doing chores around the house.
The government hopes the app will be released in the summer and will be unveiled as part of its ‘co-responsibility plan’.
Ángela Rodríguez (pictured), Spain’s minister for gender equality and domestic violence, said her department was in the process of developing the free app
‘We women spend more time on domestic tasks than men,’ Rodriguez said, as reported by The Times.
The minister was speaking at a conference in Geneva discussing discrimination against women. The minister presented a report at the convention on Spain’s women’s rights.
Rodriguez said nearly half of the women who took part in a survey by Spain’s National Statistics Institute said they did the majority of the housework in their home.
Comparatively, less than 15 per cent of men said they did the majority of the house chores.
This disparity has even caused legal rows in Spain. In April 2017, a court in Cantabria ordered a man to pay his ex-wife over €23,000 for the housework she undertook over their six years together.
Companies are currently bidding to head up the project in the hope it will be developed for release in the coming months.
The government has set aside a budget of €211,750 (almost £185,000) for its development, Spain’s ABC newspaper reported.
Rodriguez said nearly half of the women who took part in a survey by Spain’s National Statistics Institute said they did the majority of the housework in their home (file image)
It is hoped that the app with bring to light the ‘invisible tasks’ that are undertaken by women around the home as well as the ‘mental load’ – a term used to describe all the labor and thought required to run a home.
The gender equality minster used the example of cleaning a kitchen. She said women often have to undertake this task, but must also think about purchasing extra washing-up liquid or making sure there is food in the house.
It is hoped that by using the app, people will see how long each family member spends on completing tasks around the house. This will include other family members like sons and daughters, or flatmates, as well as those in relationships.
