Women in Albania spend 5 hours a day on children, study reveals

 

 Albania needs to do more in ensuring universal care for children, thus providing more opportunities for empowering women. A study conducted by UN Women and UNICEF has highlighted that Albanian women spend an average of 5 hours each day taking care of children, family, cooking, and cleaning, Euronews reports.

"Over the years in Albania, especially as a result of COVID-19, investments and public expenditures for social protection have increased; however, they still remain much lower than the EU average. UN Women works with the largest family in the UN to ensure that Albania is able to invest in fulfilling its objectives and commitments for sustainable development," said Michele Ribotta.

Experts recommend that universal child care be accessible to all, not necessarily free, as it will have an impact on empowering women.

"First and foremost, it is beneficial for children. We know from global data that when children are in an educational environment from early in their lives, their educational performance improves in the long term. They also become stronger and more active citizens, and more prepared and capable workers. Universal child care is also crucial for women and their empowerment," said Michele Ribotta.

Universal child care, according to experts, is of great importance for society as a whole because it leads to more women in the workforce, more services through the social care industry, creating more jobs, and generating more fiscal revenue for the country, which can be reinvested in additional services for communities.