QUEBEC CITY -- MNAs voted unanimously in favour of a motion on Tuesday asking them to recognize the contribution to Quebec society of invisible, unpaid work done by women.
The motion, drafted by the circle of women Members of the National Assembly, was presented in the context of International Women's Rights Day, celebrated on March 8 of each year.
"This year, we had to talk about the mental burden and the invisible work of women, because the subject is very rarely discussed in public space," explained CAQ MNA Chantal Soucy, who is the president of the circle of women Members of the National Assembly.
She cited the Institut de la Statistique du Québec, which, in 2015, found that women spent an average of three hours and 46 minutes per day on household activities compared to two hours and 38 minutes for men.
"It's about seven more hours a week for women. We are literally talking about an extra day of work," she exclaimed in the House when defending the motion.
"Mental burden" can be defined as the burden of planning, managing and distributing household chores, while "invisible work" is work carried out on a daily basis which is not properly recognized and which is often taken for granted, for example, caring for an ageing child or parent.
