Key points
- Dr Adetoun Dally has urged families to share childcare and household responsibilities to reduce pressure on working mothers.
- She said boys and girls should be taught similar domestic and life skills to promote greater responsibility and independence.
- Dally also called for workplace crèches and family-friendly policies to help parents balance work and childcare.
Main story
A gender advocate, Dr Adetoun Dally, has urged families to adopt shared responsibility for childcare and household duties to reduce the growing pressure on working mothers.
Dally, immediate past President of Women Community in Africa and Founder of Children Impact and Development Initiative, an NGO, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja.
She said changing economic realities, which increasingly required both spouses to contribute financially to household expenses, should also lead to a more balanced distribution of domestic responsibilities.
According to her, it was unfair for women who worked full-time to return home and assume most household duties alone, stressing the need for couples to discuss their circumstances and agree on practical ways to share chores, childcare and other family responsibilities.
Dally said failure to address the imbalance could expose working mothers to excessive stress and burnout, with consequences for their mental wellbeing and family stability.
“Many women are stressed out, they burn out and suffer from the burden of managing work and family responsibilities.” — Dr Adetoun Dally, Gender Advocate
She identified parenting practices as one of the factors contributing to the unequal distribution of domestic responsibilities, saying boys were often raised with the expectation that household chores were mainly for girls.
Dally said parents should instead raise boys and girls with similar life skills, including cooking, cleaning and self-care, to prepare them to become responsible and independent adults.
She also urged parents to teach boys to respect hard work and understand that household responsibilities should not be assigned according to gender.
“Boys should be raised to handle household chores and develop survival skills so that they can function independently in their personal homes.” — Dr Adetoun Dally, Gender Advocate
Beyond the family, Dally called for workplace policies that would reduce the pressure created by long working hours and shifts on mothers, particularly those with young children.
She expressed concern that some children remained in school for extended periods because their parents were still at work, and recommended greater access to workplace crèches and childcare facilities, especially in organisations where employees work long hours or shifts.
According to her, locating childcare facilities close to workplaces could help parents manage their professional responsibilities while ensuring that their children receive adequate care.
Dally further urged employers and policymakers to consider family-friendly working arrangements that would protect the wellbeing of both parents and children.
She maintained that supporting working mothers should not be viewed solely as a women’s issue, but as a collective responsibility involving husbands, families, employers and society.
She said a fairer distribution of domestic responsibilities would promote healthier families and contribute to a more balanced society.
The issues
The pressure on working mothers extends beyond the workplace, with unequal household responsibilities potentially increasing the demands placed on women after working hours.
Dally’s recommendations focus on addressing the issue at both family and workplace levels by encouraging shared domestic responsibilities, changing how children are raised and improving access to childcare.
What’s being said
“Many women are stressed out, they burn out and suffer from the burden of managing work and family responsibilities.” — Dr Adetoun Dally, Gender Advocate
“Boys should be raised to handle household chores and develop survival skills so that they can function independently in their personal homes.” — Dr Adetoun Dally, Gender Advocate
What’s next
Dally called on families, employers and policymakers to adopt measures that would make it easier for parents to balance work and childcare, including shared household responsibilities, workplace crèches and family-friendly working arrangements.
Bottom line
Dally said easing the pressure on working mothers requires a broader redistribution of childcare and household responsibilities, with families, employers and policymakers all playing a role in creating a more balanced environment for parents and children.
