When Will Men Do Their Fair Share of the Housework?

Last week I shared a clip from NBC’s “Today Show,” where California’s First Lady Maria Shriver discussed the changing roles of men and women. Shriver has co-authored a new report, called “A Woman’s Nation Changes Everything,” about the impact that the economic downturn has had on women in the US. Women have taken fewer job hits in the recession, and more men are becoming stay-at-home dads as a result of a contracted work force. However, despite these changes, women still do the majority of the housework and childcare – 86% of it, in fact.

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Shriver makes an accurate statement – that women’s lives will never be truly equal with men so long as they continue to remain the primary caregivers in our society. Although twice as many men are contributing to housework and childcare responsibilities as they were in the 1960′s, that number is still only at 30%. So my big question to you is this: when will men do their fair share of the housework? And why are we as women not demanding that the men in our lives become more self-sufficient? [Read more...]

What Does More Women in the Workforce Mean for Traditional Gender Roles?

California’s First Lady Maria Shriver and the Center for American Progress have released a new report called “A Woman’s Nation.” The report documents how women now make up more than 50% of the paid labor force, and how women’s roles are changing are a result. Shriver will be discussing the report in several segments on the “Today Show” this week. Here she is talking about Michigan’s Governor Jennifer Granholm, and what women in politics have to negotiate with their families.

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I think it’s very interesting that Shriver says women are becoming the primary breadwinners in America as a result of the economic downturn. The sad part is that she doesn’t give any analysis as to why this is the case. I would venture to guess that many companies have cut jobs for men because men are paid more than women. If you’re looking to cut your business’s bottom line, eliminate the higher salaries first. It’s basic math. [Read more...]