This Dad’s Apology to His Daughter Nails the Problem With Chores and Gender Roles

July 16, 2016 / Flock of Broads

“Sorry on behalf of every dad who set the wrong example.”

Women all around the world can relate to the overworked daughter in this video – can you?

It’s so validating to have this #SharetheLoad campaign recognize something from our day-to-day lives that often goes unsaid: The fact that women are widely expected to do more household chores than men, because of the idea that domestic labor is “women’s work.”

We think it’s well past time for a change, don’t you?

This ad campaign by the Indian detergent company Ariel has such a simple setup, but it says so much. One woman’s father watches his daughter juggle work, cooking, cleaning, and taking care of her son – while her husband sits nearby, relaxing and watching TV.

And the father’s touching response points out exactly where these unfair gender norms come from – and offers a solution for how to break the cycle of traditional gender roles.

With Love,
The Editors at Everyday Feminism

Click for the Transcript

Wife: Finished your homework? Oh no! You stained your shirt again! Dad, here’s your return ticket.

Father: My little baby girl. You’re all grown up now. You used to play house, and now you manage your own house, and your office. I am so proud, and I am so sorry. Sorry that you have to do all this alone. Sorry that I never stopped you while you were playing house. I never told you that it’s not your job alone, but your husband’s, too. But how could I say it?

Husband: Wash my green shirt!

Father: …when I never helped your mom, either. And what you saw, you learnt. Your husband must have learned the same from his dad. While playing house, he would have pretended to watch TV while you would have pretended to make tea. Sorry on behalf of his dad. Sorry on behalf of every day who set the wrong example. But it’s not too late. I will make a conscious effort to help your mom with the household chores. I may not become the king of the kitchen, but at least I can help out with the laundry. All these years I’ve been wrong. It’s time to set things right.

Yours, Papa.

(Caption: Why is laundry only a mother’s job? Dads #ShareTheLoad)

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