Blogathon #Streelink: This Unfair Double Burden On Women

A woman may get a paycheque for the job she has outside the home, but what’s the price of the job she has at home? Let’s talk! #Streelink

“I end up working 16 hours a day but only get recognised for 8.”

Does this seem familiar to you?

Join Breakthrough India & Women’s Web on a blogathon where we explore how women often face a ‘double burden’ – being responsible for all the unpaid work at home such as cooking, cleaning and childcare, while also working outside the home in paid jobs.

This Double Burden sucks!

Unpaid work – taking care of the home and family, are seen as things that come ‘naturally’ to a woman, and therefore, are not a job at all. How many times have we heard that it’s ‘easy’?

At the same time, since it’s seen as ‘women’s work’ – even when women work outside the home, they can’t really drop any of the stuff they have to do at home.

If we find it hard to manage this double burden, we’re told to quit our jobs or take on less work (“Don’t be so ambitious!”).

If we do manage to have both, it’s often seen as favour ‘given’ by the family, or we have to give up having any hobbies or down-time for ourselves.

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Employers too often perceive female employees as ‘less committed’ – simply because they have commitments at home.

Is this fair? Is this practical? Let’s talk!

Share your story!

Share your experiences as a woman who has faced a double burden – having a paid job along with an unpaid one! (such as houseworld work, or taking care of a child or elders).

Here are some things you could choose to write about:

• How fair did you feel the division of work was in your home/family?
• How did the double burden make you feel? How did you deal with it?
• Did you ever face any penalty at work for being a woman with a ‘job at home’? (For e.g. employer/boss judging you for leaving work on time, or being unable to travel or network after work hours?)
• How did you make choices to help you navigate this double burden?
• Did you or your family members try and make things more equitable? (Or if you’ve always had a fair arrangement, tell us how and why!)
• Have you seen other women around you (mom, friends, family?) suffering from this double burden? Have things changed in this respect?

You could choose to write on any or all of these aspects of being a woman managing a double burden.

Send us your blogpost at [email protected], with Blogathon #Streelink in the subject line, and the 10 best posts will be published on Women’s Web in December 2017.

Dates & Rules 

• Send us your post before 20th December
• Keep it under a 1000 words.
• The post should not have been published elsewhere previously. Copyright stays with you and you are free to subsequently publish it elsewhere.
• Your post may be reproduced on any sites or social media properties belonging to both Women’s Web and Breakthough India.

About Breakthrough

Breakthrough is a human rights organization working to make violence and discrimination against women and girls unacceptable. Learn more about their work!

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