FATHERS WHO DO household chores are more likely to raise daughters who are more ambitious and less traditional.
The new research by Canadian scientists found that fathers who wash the dishes tend to have daughters who chose from a much wider range of career options than daughters who come from families where chores are not shared equitably.
The study found that these dads are more likely to have daughters who are less likely to go into jobs considered traditionally female, and more likely to aspire to careers in business, legal and other professions.
Researchers said that the study results suggest that parents’ domestic actions may speak louder than words.
Even when fathers endorsed gender equality, if they retained a traditional of labour at home, the daughters were more likely to envision themselves in traditionally female-dominant jobs, such as nurse, teacher, librarian or stay-at-home-mother.
“This study is important because it suggests that achieving gender equality at home may be one way to inspire young women to set their sights on careers from which they have traditionally been excluded,” said study author Alyssa Croft of the University of British Columbia’s Department of Psychology.
The study involved 326 children aged between 7 and 13, and at least one of their parents.
It also found that mothers shouldered more of the burden of housework than men, echoing the findings of previous studies.
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