This coming Sunday is Mother’s Day. Chances are many of us will be taking our mothers, or those who serve as mother-like role for us, to brunch or dinner to show them our appreciation (or call them if they are far away). Being a mother is easily the most difficult job in the world. It comes with a 24/7 responsibility that requires multitasking a multitude of thankless jobs, from cooking, cleaning, shopping, child care and elder care to emotional labour.

Women’s participation in the workforce has increased in recent decades, but they still shoulder the main responsibility of work at home. And women are not compensated for doing such work. According to UN Women, globally women do 2.6 times as much unpaid domestic and care work as men. Working women are not exempt – once they are home, they take on “the second shift” to do another round of work. A recent study even showed that working mothers do more child care than stay-at-home fathers. (Stay-at-home fathers do only slightly more housework than working mothers).

The value of unpaid domestic and care work is estimated to be 13% of the total gross domestic product (GDP) worldwide. However, this “unpaid work” is not calculated into the GDP of many economies. The reason, according to Shahra Razavi, Chief of Research and Data at UN Women, is because “women’s work” is seen as less valuable. The reality is, of course, such work is critical to the economy overall, not just to individual families. “If women stopped doing a lot the work they do unpaid, then the whole economy would collapse,” Razavi said.

In Hong Kong, around half of women aged 15 and above are in the paid labour force, compared with 69% of men. Domestic work plays a major role in determining women’s decisions around work. Around 40% of women who decide not to work say they do so due to “household duties”, while nearly 31% of women who leave the workforce cite taking care of family members as the reason. While hiring a domestic helper helps to ease the housework burden, only 11% of households in Hong Kong employ a domestic helper underscoring that this type of help is not accessible to the majority of the population. Equally important, domestic workers tend to be paid little – once again reinforcing how little value is placed on women’s work.

Full time mothers are not eligible for the MPF Scheme – with longer lifespans than men and dependent on their spouses for support – these women are more at risk of falling into poverty when they are old. For mothers working in blue collar jobs, these risks are even higher as women often have to choose between work and childcare responsibilities. Single mothers feel this most acutely. Lack of flexible work options mean mothers are forced to choose part-time options with few protections and benefits. Those who cannot find these opportunities remain jobless, further entrenching them in poverty.

Men need to step up to close the “gender chore gap”. But there is also a need for a sweeping change in Hong Kong’s work culture. TWF believes workplaces should end the culture of presenteeism, which can impose difficulties for women who have families and other commitments, and instead opt to offer more flexible or part-time work options. That will be a great, lasting gift for many mothers and women in Hong Kong.
 

Have a great week, and I wish you a happy Mother’s Day.