Blow to Machismo as Spain Forces Men to do Housework [View All]

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Blow to machismo as Spain forces men to do housework

Giles Tremlett in Madrid
Friday April 8, 2005
The Guardian

Spanish men will have to learn to change nappies and don washing-up gloves under the terms of a new law designed to strike a blow at centuries of Latin machismo.

The law, due to be passed this month, is likely to provoke a revolution in family affairs in a country where 40% of men reportedly do no housework at all. It will oblige men to "share domestic responsibilities and the care and attention" of children and elderly family members, according to the draft approved by the Spanish parliament's justice commission.

This will become part of the marriage contract at civil wedding ceremonies later this year.
"The idea of equality within marriage always stumbles over the problem of work in the house and caring for dependent people," said Margarita Uría, of the Basque Nationalist party, who was behind what is an amendment to a new divorce law. "This will be a good way of reminding people what their duties are. It is something feminists have been wanting for a long time."

Failure to meet the obligations will be taken into consideration by judges when determining the terms of divorces. Men who refuse to do their part may be given less frequent contact with their children

http://www.guardian.co.uk/spain/article/0,2763,1454802,00.html