It is no surprise that girls do more unpaid housework than boys. They do 40 per cent more, which is 160 million more hours every day. In some countries, this figure is a lot higher. A report from UNICEF highlights this gap. UNICEF said girls lose important chances to learn, grow and enjoy their childhood. It added that this inequality among children means gender stereotypes continue and women and girls end up doing more work across generations.
Most work done by girls is very physical. Most girls cook, clean, collect firewood or water and care for children and elderly relatives. In Somalia, girls spend 26 hours a week on household chores. The report is part of the UN's International Day of the Girl Child on October 11. UNICEF said that knowing the challenges girls face is the first important step towards gender equality, "and breaking down barriers that confront the world's 1.1 billion girls".
