Kiryandongo, Uganda. A study by UNICEF shows that girls across the world do 50 percent more chores than boys. The disparity leaves less time for education and social development and widens gender gaps later in life. MUST CREDIT: Courtesy of UNICEF, Ose.
Kiryandongo, Uganda. A study by UNICEF shows that girls across the world do 50 percent more chores than boys. The disparity leaves less time for education and social development and widens gender gaps later in life. MUST CREDIT: Courtesy of UNICEF, Ose. Credit: courtesy of UNICEF, Ose.

For the first few years of life, boys and girls are mostly equal. They develop mentally at about the same rate, are disciplined similarly and are equally likely to start school, a new UNICEF study says.

But the study suggests that gender differences begin to grow as the children do — particularly when girls become big enough to pick up a broom, care for an ailing grandparent or fetch water.

Worldwide, girls spend about 50 percent more time on chores than their brothers, according to UNICEF. In the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia, the gap is wider — girls ages 5 to 14 spend twice as much time on chores.

The hard work doesn’t build character, says the organization, which is dedicated to providing humanitarian and developmental assistance.

“The types of chores commonly undertaken by girls — preparing food, cleaning and caring for others – not only set the stage for unequal burdens later in life but can also limit girls’ outlook and potential while they are still young,” according to the study.

The chores socialize girls into thinking that domestic duties are the only ones they’re qualified for. Chores such as cooking, cleaning and fetching water are not as highly valued as other tasks that may earn money for a family. That has “lasting effects on (girls’) self-esteem and sense of self-worth,” the study says.

Among the study’s findings:

Globally, girls ages 5 to 14 spend 550 million hours every day on household chores, 106 million more hours than boys their age.

In the three countries with the highest girl involvement in household chores, more than half the girls spend 14 hours per week on chores.

Two-thirds of girls worldwide help with cooking and cleaning in the house. Fifty percent help with shopping and 46 percent fetch water or firewood. About 43 percent care for other children.

The increased time on household work negatively affects girls’ lives — and their futures — compared to boys.

The early typecasting reverberates as girls become women, making it harder to close gender gaps in education and employment, UNICEF says.