“Those little household chores take care of themselves … says my husband,” sang Johanna von Koczian in 1977, succinctly capturing a societal image that continues to resonate today: The woman takes care of the household, which seems to be a breeze, while the man goes off to do paid work. This work done by women seems self-evident, almost natural. As if caring were part of their very nature. Complaints about it seem out of place; after all, the man drives to work every day and supposedly has it harder.
Such role models, in which the woman “belongs in the kitchen,” are still encountered today in advertising, the media, and everyday life. They are so ubiquitous that they are often perceived as natural. Authors such as Silvia Federici and Judith Butler, however, show that these notions are by no means natural, but rather have emerged historically, been repeated, and solidified over a long period of time.
Today, hardly any woman stays at home solely as a housewife while her husband works. Instead, she also holds down a job and, on top of that, takes care of the household, childcare, emotional support, social interactions, and, last but not least, the birthday gift for her mother-in-law. The man, on the other hand, in most cases simply goes to work. All in all, the average woman works more hours per week than the man, the majority of which are unpaid. It has been known for years that this structural imbalance has a massive impact on retirement savings and particularly affects single mothers.
However, rather than focusing on compensatory payments such as parental leave benefits or pension credits, Lotta Betz’s bachelor’s thesis takes a more fundamental perspective: household and care work form the foundation of our society. They are not optional extras, but essential foundational work that benefits everyone. Accordingly, these skills should not be attributed to a specific demographic group, but should be taught to everyone.
Housework and caregiving contribute to the well-being of everyone and therefore cannot be passed on to individuals as private extra work. A more equitable distribution would not only reduce gender-based inequalities but also address social issues such as male isolation. However, this requires a collective commitment to taking responsibility.
One possible starting point for this lies in the school subject AES (Everyday Life, Nutrition, and Social Studies). As a subject with roots in girls’ education, it still carries the image of being purely about home economics. Betz argues, however, that skills such as budget planning, healthy eating, conscious consumption, and caregiving are central components of an independent adult life and should therefore be part of every school curriculum.
This creates an educational approach that no longer views domestic and care work as outsourced extra work, but rather as a social foundation. It enables children to lead responsible, socially engaged lives. In this way, education makes an active contribution to overcoming gender-based inequality.
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Author: Lotta Betz