By Sibylle Dorndorf

The "little difference" and its huge consequences was  the central issue of the women's rights movement. That was decades ago. And you would think that we have had enough time to achieve gender equality. But reality tells a different story. There is still a lot to do on many fronts. One of these is the unfair distribution of care work.

The gender care gap

Childcare, housework and caring for the sick and elderly are just three of the care tasks taken on by women - usually in addition to their professional commitments. And, of course, without pay. This little, big difference has a name: the gender care gap. The awareness is there, the figures are there, but there is a lack of concepts as to how to share out care work fairly. Large sections of the population also lack any awareness or willingness to rectify the situation.

The decade of equality

Speaking in the summer of 2023, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said that it will still take 300 years to achieve global equality between women and men. And the trend is upwards rather than down. In autumn 2021, the new German government proclaimed the decade of equality and in its coalition agreement set itself the goal of achieving equality between men and women before the end of this decade, i.e. by 2030. However, Germany is a long way from the ideal of equality set out in Article 3 of the German Constitutional Law back in 1949. And so the question arises: Why haven't we got any further? Why is it that we have made so little substantial and sustainable progress in recent decades?

The goal: a just society

The fair distribution of care work is the basic prerequisite for a just society. A good way of getting people to change how they think is by publicising an attention-grabbing idea designed to wake people up, make them more aware and get them involved. Equal Care Day, initiated by Almut Schnerring and Sascha Verlan in 2016, offers such an opportunity. This day of action is celebrated on 29 February, a day that is invisible in the calendar. This date, which carries so many associations, addresses the unequal distribution of care work and its effects.

The invisible day in numbers

The choice of 29 February symbolises the 4:1 ratio in the distribution of care work and highlights the fact that, mathematically, men would need around four years to perform as much private, professional and voluntary care work as women do in one year. Raising children, caring for relatives, housework, voluntary work: on average, women spend 52.4 per cent more time per day on unpaid care work than men. This difference, the gender care gap mentioned above, is an indicator of gender equality.

Show initiative, join in, make a difference

The Equal Care initiative and Equal Care Day were launched by Almut Schnerring and Sascha Verlan. The two work together as a team as freelance media professionals and authors. They give talks, hold workshops, offer training courses - and fight against unfair role distribution and role clichés. Even as a couple, Almut Schnerring and Sascha Verlan are constantly trying to divide up the tasks of childcare, cooking, cleaning and tending to the sick as fairly as their gainful employment.

The Equal Care Manifesto

Schnerring and Verlan gained fame - not only in the toy industry - through their book "The Pink Light Blue Trap". The idea for Equal Care Day was born while they were working on this book. As Almut Schnerring is well aware, everything is connected somehow: "That's right. One of the demands in our Equal Care Manifesto is: "A gender, care and diversity-aware pedagogy along the entire childcare and education chain. The development of a care CV of equal standing to a professional CV must be introduced as an educational goal. And, in our opinion, the toy industry has a great responsibility in this regard."

Toy industry and role clichés

How can companies in the toy industry get involved in the ECD? Sascha Verlan states very clearly: "As long as dolls and toys relating to the household, personal hygiene, social interaction, etc. are aimed at girls and the play worlds for boys are centred on adventure, vehicles and technology, role models, and consequently the gender care gap, will continue to be reinforced. In exaggerated terms, we could say that in many ways the toy industry is working against the educational plans of the German government as well as against Article 2 of the German Constitutional Law, which promises the free development of the personality.” This cannot be dismissed out of hand, but it must also be recognised and acknowledged that a lot of changes are happening in the toy industry at the moment.

A new generation brings with it a new direction

A generational change is underway - as a result, businesses feel increasingly committed to social reorientation. Almut Schnerring agrees: "We are certainly seeing encouraging signs, but the majority of companies are still stuck in rigid role models, which is reflected on the shelves of toy shops. This applies in particular to the household, family and care sector. Boys are virtually nowhere to be seen in the colour schemes, texts and illustrations there. As a result, reinforced by the media and adult role models, they learn that this area is not intended for them. And girls begin to accept that this seems to be where they belong. These are images that we should overcome as quickly as possible. And the toy industry in particular can make a big contribution."

Breaking down role models - questioning the traditional

If you look around the industry, it becomes very clear that a lot of companies cannot deny this accusation. Almut Schnerring comments: "It’s not about placing the blame! The conditions are the way they are and we have all grown into this system. Perhaps we could have done something about it earlier and it would certainly have been helpful to have been brought up differently. The reproach is directed towards the future: Anyone who leans back complacently today has to justify their own inaction. Because what you didn't learn as a child can be made up for later."

Participation and commitment are needed

What can companies do if they want to get involved in and around Equal Care Day? The question is addressed to initiators Almut Schnerring and Sascha Verlan: "Equal Care Day offers many opportunities for collaboration and co-operation. We are active throughout the year with various projects as part of the initiative. Our motto: After Equal Care Day is before Equal Care Day."

Take a position - join in

The motto of the current campaign for Equal Care Day 2024 is: #geschenkterTag and explores the question of how the forthcoming leap year day - currently an extra working day for which no extra remuneration is paid - can be used and organised together. Almut Schnerring and Sascha Verlan have a few suggestions and are looking forward to discussions and participation.

Creating awareness through dialogue

It is equally important to address role models, the unequal distribution of care work and one's own responsibility within one's own team and company. Everyone should ask themselves the central question: "What part do I play in the reproduction and consolidation of role models?" It's not just about experiencing the programme. You can also engage in dialogue with people from the worlds of politics and science and those affected, as well as network and become part of the equal care movement. Because the fair distribution of care work is the basic prerequisite for an equal society.

Author profile

Sibylle Dorndorf has been writing about the toy industry for almost 30 years, most recently as editor-in-chief of the TOYS magazine family at Göller Verlag, Baden-Baden. Her passion: companies that reinvent themselves, brands that position themselves credibly, people who have something to say and products with a future.