Equality through tech: An app that tracks men's house chores to encourage fair distribution

The Spanish government is taking steps to address the unequal distribution of domestic chores by developing a free app that will track and log the amount of time each household or family member spends on these tasks. Ángela Rodríguez, Spain's Secretary of State for Equality, announced the initiative in Geneva, emphasising the app's aim to shed light on the invisible "mental load" disproportionately borne by women when it comes to household responsibilities.

Rodríguez addressed the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, stating, "We'll soon introduce an app that allows individuals to record the household chores performed by different family members. This will enable us to determine the hours spent on housework by each person and, consequently, facilitate a more equitable distribution of these tasks."

The development budget for the app is reported to be €211,750 (Rs 1.9 crore). The Spanish government intends for the app to encourage every family member to contribute their fair share. Rodríguez explained, "We believe this initiative can be implemented in households to divide chores between sons, daughters, fathers, mothers, as well as flatmates or life partners, as the division of these tasks is often unequal."

In addition to promoting fairness in chore distribution, the app will also highlight the often overlooked invisible work necessary for the smooth functioning of a household. Rodríguez exemplified this by stating that tidying up the kitchen might only take 20 minutes, but it relies on someone having remembered to buy washing-up liquid or having planned the shopping list.

Addressing critics of the plan, Rodríguez responded on Twitter, saying, "Ah, privileges. What those who are annoyed by the chore-sharing app are really annoyed about is the possibility of having to start doing their bit at home."

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The development of this app aligns with the Spanish Ministry of Equality's shared responsibilities plan, a comprehensive set of public policies aimed at improving gender equality between men and women. The ministry expressed its vision, stating, "The challenge lies in designing comprehensive care systems from a gender, intersectional, and human rights perspective that promote shared responsibility between men and women, the state, the market, families, and the community."

A survey conducted last year by Spain's National Statistics Institute revealed that 45.9 per cent of women were primarily responsible for domestic chores, while only 14.7 per cent of men performed the majority of these tasks. This disparity underscores the urgent need to address and rectify the unequal distribution of household responsibilities.

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