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Discrimination at home happens everywhere daily in the world, as domestic violence or the unfair work tasks like taking care of the household or care giving for the children.

Faces of discrimination at home

Discrimination is a topic that affects everyone at some point of their live. Often thinking about discrimination we think of scenarios which happen on the street between strangers, online or other places out of home, but in fact our own homes can be the place of discrimination as well. These discrimination can be present in different forms, just as unfair shared amount of housework based on the fact it is one person's responsibility or in form of emotional abuse and violence, because one person puts their-self over someone. In this article we want to talk about these different cases and how they are visible and what you can do identify such and maybe even be able to help yourself or others.

Household and caregiving

„Work doesn't stop when you get home. It just continues but the difference is you are not getting paid for it.”

Women spend more time on caring activities compared to men. The result out of this is that woman get less time to focus on hobbies and selfceare which comes through social activities, sport, cultural or leisure activities.

The study, which analyzes data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' American Time Use Survey, found that women aged 15 and older spend 5.7 hours daily doing housework and looking after kids and elders, while men in the same age range do so for 3.6 hours each day. That’s about 37% more time dedicated to keeping things running smoothly in the house.

Women ages 15-24 spend 54% more time on housework than men the same age and women ages 25-34 spend 51% more time on those chores.

The United Nations found out in their studies that women do three times more unpaid care and domestic work as men. This factor can also affect their economic security in long-term. Every women and also men should be able to finance themselves. Nobody can ever know their future circumstances. Independency is the key.

Husbands are the legally designated heads of households in 29 of 143 countries. Following out of this, husbands decide about key decisions such as the family residence, obtaining documents, control over the bank account and even the ability to restrict their wives right to work.

Women are more likely than men to be unemployed or to be contributing family workers, which usually implies that they have no access to monetary income. In Oceania, sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia, between 30 and 55% of employed women are contributing family workers, about 20 percentage points higher than men in the same regions.

In some households the tasks are being devided based on the gender. Just like in the old days. Women take care of the household and kids, and the men bring the bread home. This way of thinking is still to find in a lot of families and households.

"If you're a woman, many people have prejudices. Woman should only throw the household, because the "man" has not been created for it."

"Any times I experienced that girls in my family were restricted, whereas boys weren’t."

"Girls shouldn’t be out late, do the household!"

Responses from our Gender Equality Survey

Domestic Abuse and Gender Violence

Domestic abuse, also called "domestic violence" or "intimate partner violence", can be defined as a pattern of behavior in any relationship that is used to gain or maintain power and control over an intimate partner. Abuse is physical, sexual, emotional, economic or psychological actions or threats of actions that influence another person. This includes any behaviors that frighten, intimidate, terrorize, manipulate, hurt, humiliate, blame, injure, or wound someone.

Form of abuse:

• Emotional abuse

• Psychological abuse

• Financial or economic abuse

• Physical abuse

• Sexual abuse

120 million girls around the world have experienced sexual violence. 10% of girls under age 20 have been forced into sexual acts. They are also at higher risk for domestic violence and exploitation in the sex trade.

El Salvador and Honduras claim the 2 highest rates of female homicides in the world with 14.4 per 100,000 women in El Salvador and 10.9 per 100,000 women in Honduras. In addition, 90% of female homicides in Honduras go unresolved.

Safety Tips

Never be ashamed of the harm someone else does to you and it is also never your fault. Make sure you reach out for help and get the needed support.

If it is possible, always have a phone where you know you can get to it

National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)

https://www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/ending-violence-against-women/faqs/signs-of-abuse

Men are also affected

Woman are not the only ones who are being victims of domestic violence and abuse, men can be victims too.

Uk statistics show that in 2017/18, nearly half of male victims fail to tell anyone they are a victim of domestic abuse (only 51% tell anyone). They are nearly three times less likely to tell anyone than a female victim (49% of men fail to tell anyone as opposed to 19% women). This has worsened since 2015/16 where the figures were 61% for men (88% women).

Germany created a extra hotline just for men:

Men can call the new number on +49 800 123 99 00.

Pandemic

More needs to be done to prioritize addressing violence against women in COVID-19 response and recovery efforts. Women bear additional household burdens during the pandemic. They already spend about three times as many hours in unpaid domestic and care work as men.

Calls to helplines have increased five-fold in some countries as rates of reported intimate partner violence increase, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Restricted movement, social isolation, and economic insecurity are increasing women’s vulnerability to violence in the home around the world.

In the above showed picture you can find a way to send a signal to someone else if you are a victim of domestic violence or other kind of abuse. Especially lockdowns and stay at home orders bring danger for people who do not have a safe place at home. Usually you can seek help from other people just as at work or when you meet with friends or family. All these points are being not accrual anymore. One of the only few ways to stay in contact with others is over technical devices. If you video call someone use this to send a signal.

With this said, even people who are a victim of abuse at home should be aware of it to be able to provide help to those who need it.