On International Women’s Day, we celebrate progress. But let’s also talk about the hidden barriers still holding women back. Captured in this photo are three generations: me, my mum and my daughters. A reflection on the past, a reality check on the present, and a call to shape a better future.
At home, mums predominantly carry the mental load of parenting: tracking school admin, remembering extracurricular schedules and organising their kids’ social life.
- Our survey revealed that 93% of mums handle school admin alone.
- The European Institute for Gender Equality found that 70% of male partners don’t engage in daily domestic responsibilities.
- Pregnant Then Screwed discovered that mums are 2.5X more likely to request flexible working than dads, often out of necessity, not choice.
At work, this invisible labour affects careers. When one person is the default organiser at home, it limits time, energy and ultimately opportunities.
Real gender equality means addressing the unseen barriers, not just the visible ones.
It’s time to shift the conversation from mums “doing it all” to using technology to lighten the load and enable the parenting load to be more easily and equally shared.
This is why I am building Kiki: to lighten the burden of child admin, so primary carers, especially mums, don’t have to do it all.
What’s one invisible responsibility you carry that you wish was shared? Drop us comment on our socials.
