| A Nielsen India Survey recently conducted on Indian Households across 5 cities, supported by Ariel India reveals that more than 2/3rd of Indian women feel, there exists inequality at home, between men and women*
85% of working Indian women** feel they have 2 jobs, one at work and the other at home*
76% of Indian men believe, laundry is a woman’s job*
Celebrities spark the debate with the help of Mumbai’s own ‘Dabbawalas’ to send a very important message from women to men across the city – Is laundry only a woman’s job? |
Mumbai, 8th January, 2015: Is laundry only a woman’s job? This is the question Shilpa Shetty Kundra, Neha Dhupia & Mandira Bedi were asking today, here in Lower Parel, during a press conference. India is home to equal opportunities for both men and women and gender equality has become cornerstone to our growth as a society. However, while India is working towards equal opportunities for all at the workplace there continues to remain a high sense of inequality between men and women within the household, particularly when it comes to household chores. Drawing from the recent findings of a Nielsen India Survey on Indian Households supported by Ariel India, Shilpa Shetty Kundra, Neha Dhupia & Mandira Bedi spark a pan-India debate to draw attention to this very important issue.
The results of the survey reveal that more than 2/3rd of Indian women feel, there exists inequality at home, between men and women*. Echoing the sentiments of Indian women, Ariel India has joined with these 3 acclaimed celebrities as they spark a national debate and raise a very important question – Is laundry only a woman’s job? Making laundry, the face of this inequality that exists in Indian households. Ariel India joins these 3 leading ladies & India’s most famous medium of communicating love from a wife to her husband – the ‘Dabbawalas’ – and make them the carriers of this very important message to men all over.
Be it doing the laundry, cooking or cleaning—the top three most important household chores—it’s often the women who carry this load all on their own. According to the survey, 70% of married Indian women feel they spend more time on household work than with their husbands*, ironically while 76% of Indian men believe laundry is a woman’s job*. While men in nuclear homes may help occasionally, donning the chef’s hat or taking the children to the park, when it comes to the key household tasks like doing the laundry, it’s still largely perceived as the ladies’ domain.
Leading Indian actress, entrepreneur, wife and mother, Shilpa Shetty Kundra joined hands with Ariel India to bring to focus that 83 % of working Indian women** feel men should help with household chores at home.“Being a mother and a wife with a busy work schedule myself, I completely understand why 85% of working Indian women** feel they have two jobs, one at work and the other at home*. While we love it when men come home and help out with the kids and the homework, they also need to shoulder an equal responsibility when it comes to household chores. Be it cooking, cleaning or simply doing the laundry, a happier household is one where all responsibilities are shared. I’m glad to be here today with Ariel India and raise this very important question on is laundry a woman’s job? I’m delighted that the ‘Mumbai Dabbawalas’ will carry our message to men across Mumbai and hopefully across the country!”
Bollywood Actress Mandira Bedi was thrilled to be sparking such an important debate -”More than 2/3rd of Indian women feel men do not help with household chores*, which is a message Indian men definitely needed to hear! Through this unique way with Ariel India I’m certain we will spread the message. It is important for a happier home and a happier marriage to have an equal sharing of the workload at home. Laundry is definitely NOT only a woman’s job and it is no surprise that more than 2/3rd of married Indian women believe their marriage would be happier if the man did the laundry at home*.”
Bollywood Diva, Neha Dhupia was excited to raise the important question with Ariel India. Speaking at the event, Neha said, “76% of Indian men believe, laundry is a woman’s job*. As a woman, I’m glad to be here today to draw light to the clear inequality that exists in Indian households. This is a question that needs to be asked and I encourage women across the country to join this debate. Currently, more than 2/3rd of Indian men prefer to watch TV than do the laundry*, which is something, we believe we can change!”
About the Nielsen India Survey:
Nielsen India Survey on Indian Households was conducted in 5 cities (with a total of 1000 respondents). The survey was carried out in November, 2014, and was conducted among men and women in Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad and Bangalore.
