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Ariel’s #ShareTheLoad Gender Equality Advocacy Campaign

Calling all fathers all around the globe to take heed of Ariel’s “gender-equality campaign” to create more equal homes. Simply put, daddies need to help out with household chores so that mommies can rest a bit and have some well-deserved “me” time. I think the latter is more understandable because honestly, there are husbands who continuously ignore the obvious call for help.

Ariel's #ShareTheLoad Gender Equality Advocacy Campaign

I’ve truly no problem with this advocacy by Ariel because I’m a lucky wife! Why? Hubby didn’t change from day 1 we got together, up to now that it’s been more than 15 years of being stuck with me, lol. He cooks, he picks up after himself, takes care of the kids when I’m not around, wash the dishes, cleans the house including the bathroom, almost everything, except…. do the laundry and ironing lol. Note that these chores he can do during spare time, sometimes before he goes to work or during his days off and in between playing playstation hahaha. He doesn’t think he’s a slave and I don’t really treat him as one, but he does these all for love. His parents taught him well, he grew up very responsible and that makes me so proud to be his other half.

Oh boy, this post has turned into a Father’s Day tribute hahaha. But then, he deserves all praises! So, Happy Father’s Day to my honey!

Anyway, let’s get back to Ariel’s Share the Load Gender Equality Advocacy Campaign. This is so timely because Father’s Day is coming up and most attention will be on them, so why not use this chance for this advocacy to be heard.

Ariel's #ShareTheLoad Gender Equality Advocacy Campaign

In this ‪#‎SharetheLoad‬ campaign, Ariel India, P&G, and BBDO Worldwide show how fathers and husbands can take small steps (like doing laundry) to create more equal homes. They won a ‪#‎GlassLion‬ at the 2015 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity for earlier work on this campaign. The real win is the way they are changing stereotypes and showing that a more equal world would be a better world for all of us.” Sandberg’s post reads.

Facebook CEO Sheryl Sandberg recently lauded #SharetheLoad, laundry brand Ariel’s campaign that challenges men worldwide to be catalysts of change in issues pertaining to gender stereotypes and patriarchal systems. In her Facebook account, Sandberg recognized Ariel’s laundry ad for encouraging men to take their share of household chores and its efforts to support female initiatives.

“This is one of the most powerful videos I have ever seen – showing how stereotypes hurt all of us and are passed from generation to generation. When little girls and boys play house they model their parents’ behavior; this doesn’t just impact their childhood games, it shapes their long-term dreams.

Watch the video below and grab the tissue box before you hit Play…

With the aim of breaking stereotypes, Ariel sends out this powerful #SharetheLoad commercial that has gone viral across the world. The #SharetheLoad ad features an elderly father writing an apology to his daughter for his failure to address patriarchal roles in the home. The commercial ends with the elderly man sharing the laundry load with his wife hoping that one little change can make all the difference.

The #SharetheLoad idea was hinged on the insight that more and more children believe that household chores are only a mother’s job. Ariel would like to encourage parents to reflect on their behaviours that influence how the next generation see household chores. Stereotypes become part of children’s reality, and the laundry becomes mom’s domain. Children learn from what they see, and any inequality within their household is passed onto them. If their father never does the laundry, they are going to grow up believing it’s not ‘his’ responsibility. Those gender roles become ingrained.

Ariel also took the #SharetheLoad campaign online, initiating the discussion with the hashtag as a talking point on social media. Women celebrities chimed in, asking men if laundry is only a woman’s job, and urging women to raise the question further.

This is the best part in the video which really made tears rush down my cheeks. Not that because my husband doesn’t help me with the laundry, in fact, with all the things that he’s doing for us, I couldn’t ask for more. But those tears are for the women out there who badly need help with the heavy laundry load.

Ariel's #ShareTheLoad Advocacy Campaign

And as part of this global campaign on women empowerment, Ariel furthers gender-equality initiatives in the Philippines through the #AhonPinay campaign. Launched in March 2016 in support of the Philippine Commission on Women’s (PCW) celebration of National Women’s Month, the #AhonPinay campaign focuses on uplifting women in their selected vocations. This is in line with the theme for the 2016 National Women’s Month celebration, “Kapakanan ni Juana, Isama sa Agenda,” which resonates the call for gender-balance in leadership and decision-making positions in the public and private sector, inclusion of women’s concerns in leadership platforms and the government’s development agenda, and capacitating women to reach their ambitions.

Ariel is the only fast-moving consumer goods brand actively involved in the National Women’s Day initiatives. As the brand continues to empower women, #AhonPinay will also support the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) – Women’s Center through a grant that will help women with their training courses. #AhonPinay will also tap various women’s advocacy groups to uplift, empower, and inspire women by raising gender equality awareness and bringing relevant issues not only in the workforce but in daily lives.

#SharetheLoad and #AhonPinay are both part of Ariel’s global women empowerment campaign, in recognition of its unique role to engage women around the world in promoting gender equality and equal opportunity.

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