Why You Should Give Your Boy Child More Chores Than His Sisters

Growing up as the only girl in a family of 3 (second born), I must say, I had more than my fair share of house chores. I shouldered the responsibility of taking care of the house and even my brothers, I became more mature than my age.

On the other hand, my brothers had less responsibility and it was seen as normal and that is exactly what's happening in most homes.

A UNICEF study shows that girls across the world do 50 percent more chores than boys. This disparity leaves less time for education and social development and widens gender gaps later in life.

And this, I can relate to because while the girl is busy doing the chores "that are for girls" which is mainly everything in the house, the boys could be out on the field playing football and getting other things done.

According to the study "The types of chores commonly undertaken by girls — preparing food, cleaning and caring for others — not only set the stage for unequal burdens later in life, but can also limit girls' outlook and potential while they are still young."

The increased time on house chores negatively impact girls' lives and their futures compared to boys. Every hour a girl spends on chores is an hour she can't spend making friends, doing schoolwork or playing.

According to the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap report, a quarter of a billion women entered the global labour force between 2006 and 2015, "and yet, the annual pay for women only now equals the amount men were earning TEN YEARS AGO.

Do you know what that means? Right now women are earning the amount men were earning ten years ago, so yes, men are getting paid more than women. And why's that?

Women enter low-paid, female-dominated occupations and this decision is shaped by discrimination, societal norms and other forces beyond women’s control.

We see it everyday, there are some fields that are high-paying but because women have been conditioned that a particular path is better for women blah blah blah they end up in the female populated field which may not be paying much.

I mean I had a friend from university who is now a marine engineer and from what I have heard he is now earning a very high salary. I tried going into the same field and everyone told me not to, that it's degree for men, now I'm earning my change and he's earning in dollars (let me stop moping).

So what is the way out? We shouldn't put it into these girls' head that some chores are for them because they are girls, some professions are not for them because they are girls rather we need to empower them.

"Supporting girls to stay in school and be involved in sports, play and other leisure and asset-building activities — and investing in infrastructure, technology and child care to ease uneven burdens — can help put girls on the path to empowerment and the world on course to great gender equality."

Now mothers, I guess you know what you have to do, get to it, please, give your girl child equal opportunity in the future as your boy child.