The United Nations Development Programme in Fiji, is looking at placing a value on the time people spend on unpaid work. The report disclosed that women in Suva spend 58 hours a week on housework, compared to men who only spend 8 hours.
The report also showed that women in the tropical island nation of Vanuatu, voted the Happiest Country On Earth in 2006, have 25% less leisure time than men. (Who is kidding who, in a male dominated society?)
The manager of the UNDP Pacific Centre, says “It’s important to provide separated out data about the different roles men and women play in the community, if the UNDP is to understand how a particular policy might impact differently on different genders”. Without this kind of data, the Centre believes it would be difficult to design good policies or programs.
The word is out that people in general have 45 minutes more leisure time, per day, than they had 40 years ago. Half of that time is spent watching television (says some experts). The average person in a Western country devotes 2.5 hours a day to the relaxing hobby of watching television.
The following is a break down of an average person’s daily timetable, which was released in 2006 from an unknown source.
ACTIVITY TIME SPENT BY GENDER, MARITAL STATUS
Men Women Married Single
Phone calls, mail, email 7 min 14 min 8 min 14 min
Caring for non-household members 13 min 15 min 13 min 14 min
Religious, civic duties 16 min 21 min 20 min 17 min
Caring for family 20 min 43 min 45 min 17 mi
Educational activities 28 min 26 min 7 min 51 min
Buying goods, services 38 min 58 min 53 min 43 min
Eating, drinking 1 hr 18 min 1 hr 11 min 1 hr 24min 1 hr 8 min
Household activities 1 hr 20 min 2 hr 16 min 2 hr 8 min 1 hr 26 min
Work-related 4 hr 26 min 3 hr 4 hr 1 min 3 hr 18 min
Watching TV 3 hr 28 min 2 hr 41 min 2 hr 24 min 2 hr 47 min
Personal care, sleep 9 hr 13 min 9 hr 37 min 9 hr 8 min 9 hr 46 min
(If they serious about these figures then I am off the planet, as I am sure many of your are also!)
The Harris Poll published these results after a nationwide telephone survey, in 2004:
· 35% of adults preferred reading.
· 21% preferred to watch television
· 20% spend time with their family and friends
Harris Poll says these three activities have topped the list every year since 1995. However, it is believed that technology such as the Internet clearly influences the use of leisure time.
One has to question how these results were arrived at and their ability to truly represent an overall picture of life, either in 2006 or 2009.
It certainly feels the more ‘time-saving-devices’ you are presented with, you increasingly find you have less and less time to do the things you would really like to do. Time is your most valuable resource and must be used, protected, looked after and used wisely, just as you consider the use of any other valuable resource.
Here is another way you can help the overall picture in 2009. Help us to help give some really great kids a high school education. With out your aid, these high achieving primary school students will never get a chance to do the things they dream of doing. Take a few minutes to look at Win A Resort . It could change your life and give you more leisure time than you even dreamed of.
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Tags: do men have less leisure time than men, happiest country on earth, Harris Poll on use of leisure, South Pacific, the resource time., tropical island, UNDP Pacific report, use of time, Vanuatu
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March 25th, 2009 at 8:06 pm
Women Have 25% Less Leisure Time Than Men…
UNDP report reveals that women in the tropical island nation of Vanuatu, in the North West corner of the South Pacific, have 25% less leisure time than men….