The first expectant girls in Pretoria School were enrolled in the 1980s
Dads, do you want your daughter to aspire to a great future, perhaps as an astronaut or president? Then do the dishes.
A study by the University of British Columbia, published in the journal Psychological Science, found that fathers who helped with chores around the house were more likely to raise daughters who aspired to less conventional, and possibly higher-paying, careers.
The study, which included more than 320 children aged seven to 13, showed that “parents and kids associated women more than men with childcare and domestic work, and girls were significantly more likely than boys to say they want to be like adults who take care of kids rather than someone who has a career”, the university said.
Alyssa Croft, a PhD student at the university and the lead author, said: “This suggests girls grow up with broader career goals in households where domestic duties are shared more equitably by parents.”
She described fathers as “unique gatekeepers” by engaging in domestic tasks.