Instagram/@annehathaway
In order to spread the message wide open, Anne Hathaway has teamed up with UN Women to the effect of the global problem, which mainly affects women, the economic recognition of unpaid care work. The actress, who is a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, made the shocking fact known about 16 billion hours of unpaid care done by women and girls every day, calling the inequality between the genders a structural problem needing immediate social changes. She encouraged everyone to continue to support, share and pay for caregiving and urged us to stop referring to it as ‘women’s work’.
Advertisement
Hathaway in a video statement very clearly and with great conviction expressed the main issue. “I put the issue of care as the main thing,” she started. “The economy and society as a whole are built on care; it is even more than that. The fact is that at some point in their lives, everyone will require care.” Next, she transitioned to the systemic failure, saying, “But we have to recognize that the current care regime which delineates and appraises care is highly unjust and at the same time unfeasible.”
The actress did not soften her words but rather confronted the cultural norms head-on as in her case. Hathaway said, “We have to fight the cultural stereotypes that mechanically condemn women to caring tasks.” “We have to admit that something is really wrong. The truth is that we are, whether we wish to or not, exploiting women.” The solution she was portraying contained a confrontation to the prevailing: “It is very simple, we have to stop criminalizing women for their caregiving. Instead of relying on women to cope, we should enable the support and fair compensation of care work beforehand.”
The public’s response to Hathaway’s advocacy was mostly positive, and many people agreed with her and praised her for bringing a very important issue to light through her platform. One commentator reflected the general opinion, saying, “Well done! Thank you for using your influence to highlight this very real and important issue affecting all women, everywhere.” Another commentator, in turn, reinforced the call to action with a succinct yet hopeful remark, “Let’s fight for a feminist future.”
Most people shared the same opinion as the main message. One user wrote, “Yes!!! This!! It is so overdue” and said, “Women do a lot and we should get compensated for these services. I love this message.” Another commenter proposed a specific book, stating, “Invisible Women by Carolina Criado Perez is a must-read for this topic.”
On the other hand, the discussions also brought some unavoidable opposition, which only served to emphasize the very cultural prejudices that Hathaway’s message is attempting to uproot. One individual likened caregiving to physically demanding jobs done by men, saying, “That would be like saying: ‘Not all bricklayers should be men…’ I just wouldn’t put it across as an urgent plea that all men should turn into caretakers tomorrow.” Responding to this, another user asked directly, “are you f serious?”
Some critics diverted the issue from that of unpaid care work to men’s general problems. One offering stated, “What about all the men who suffer silence by working unpaid overtime?” while another went so far as to inquire “What about men? Some men are homeless,” thus completely ignoring the problem. A couple of replies even went oddly off-topic with one user stating, “I think this woman is a vampire” and another humorously giving, “Nope…every single thing is on point sugar tits.”
Advertisement
Amid all the noise, the primary message from Hathaway and UN Women continued to be clear, and it was based on facts. They call for the governments and businesses to enact genuine changes: first through taxes for the support of care services, then through the establishment of family-friendly workplaces with flexible hours and paid maternity leave, and finally ensuring that care work is both acknowledged and compensated. By supporting Anne Hathaway we are reminded of one thing that is true everywhere—care is a universal duty and not a female burden. The debate is on, and there is immediately a global demand for a more just system. Her recent work also included a tribute to fashion legend Giorgio Armani.
About the Author
