ReliefWeb

Young girls still facing heavy responsibilities and violence

by YVES WILLEMOT

Girls between 5 and 14 years old spend 40 per cent more time, or 160 million more hours a day, on unpaid household chores and collecting water and firewood compared to boys their age, according to a report released by UNICEF ahead of International Day of the Girl on 11 October.

Girls spend 160 million more hours than boys doing household chores everyday

Harnessing the Power of Data for Girls: Taking stock and looking ahead to 2030 includes the first global estimates on the time girls spend doing household chores such as cooking, cleaning, caring for family members and collecting water and firewood.

The data show that the disproportionate burden of domestic work begins early, with girls between 5 and 9 years old spending 30 per cent more time, or 40 million more hours a day, on household chores than boys their age. The numbers rise as girls get older, with 10 to 14 year olds spending 50 per cent more time, or 120 million more hours each day.

“_The overburden of unpaid household work begins in early childhood and intensifies as girls reach adolescence,_” said UNICEF’s Principal Gender Advisor Anju Malhotra.  “As a result, girls sacrifice important opportunities to learn, grow, and just enjoy their childhood. This unequal distribution of labour among children also perpetuates gender stereotypes and the double-burden on women and girls across generations.”

The report notes that girls’ work is less visible and often undervalued. Too often adult responsibilities such as caring for family members, including other children, are imposed on girls. Time spent on chores limits a girl’s time to play, socialize with friends, study and be a child. In some countries, collecting firewood and water puts girls at risk of sexual violence.

Girl’s in the Sustainable Development Goals

The report also found that:

• – Girls between 10 and 14 years old in South Asia and the Middle East and North Africa spend nearly double the amount of time on household chores compared to boys.
• – The countries where girls between 10 and 14 years old bear the most disproportionate burden of household chores compared to boys are; Burkina Faso, Yemen and Somalia.
• – 10 to 14 year-old girls in Somalia spend the most amount of time on household chores in total: 26 hours every week.

“_Quantifying the challenges girls face is the first critical step towards meeting the Sustainable Development Goal on gender equality and breaking-down barriers that confront the world’s 1.1 billion girls,_” said UNICEF Chief of Data and Analytics Attila Hancioglu.

Harnessing the Power of Data for Girls: Taking stock and looking ahead to 2030 notes that data for two thirds of the 44 girl-related indicators in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – the global roadmap to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all – are either limited or poor. In addition to household chores, the report presents data on girl-related issues addressed by the SDGs including violence, child marriage, female genital mutilation and education. Achieving the SDGs that address these issues and empowering girls with the knowledge, skills and resources they need to reach their full potential, is not only good for girls, but can drive economic growth, promote peace and reduce poverty.

Memo Concerning the Democratic Republic of the Congo

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo the situation of young women remains a cause for concern in view of violence of all kinds in which young women are the victims. Despite the adoption of the Child Protection Act in 2009, young women and girls are still victims of gender-based violence, particularly child marriage and domestic labour.

The **Demographic and Health Survey** (DHS 2013-2014) shows that 43% of women are married before the age of 18 and 27% of girls aged between 15 and 19 are pregnant. Among women currently aged 25-49,  24% had already had  sexual relations  before the  age of  15 and  65%  before the age of 18.

The DHS is again reporting that many girls are required to carry out household chores and that this situation jeopardises their education. More than one girl in 10 of the over 12’s carry out domestic chores for more than 28 hours, while the percentage of boys is less than 3%.

Today, with the law amending and supplementing Act No. 87-010 of 1st August 1987 on the Family Code, there is room for hope.  This new law brings a number of innovations in support of children, in particular young girls. The Family Code has, amongst other things, raised the legal minimum age for marriage from 16 to 18 years of age. This is an important step forward in the struggle to end child marriage.

About UNICEF

UNICEF promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere.

For more information about UNICEF and its work for children visit www.unicef.org. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

For more information, contact

Melanie Sharpe, UNICEF New York, +1 917-251-7670, msharpe@unicef.org

Yves Willemot, UNICEF Kinshasa, Tel: +243 81 88 46 746, ywillemot@unicef.org