EquiDom working group - Measuring equality in the management of domestic work

An inclusive tool to highlight the gaps in the division of domestic work and to support a path of awareness and rebalancing, from couples to public policies.

Learn more: https://paologroppo.blogspot.com/2025/10/the-domestic-is-political-what-is.html

The project at a glance

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Why a DEI is needed

Domestic and care work is still highly unbalanced between men and women.

Official statistics do not capture the everyday dynamics within families.

We need a simple and immediate index to make these asymmetries visible.

https://paologroppo.blogspot.com/2025/10/articolo-lavoceinfo-inglese.html

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What it measures

The Domestic Equality Index (DEI) is a tool that shows how couples divide:

• time and daily activities,
• the level of involvement of both partners,
• the ability to negotiate and rebalance tasks.

Each activity is scored from –1 to +1, to give a clear picture of the distribution.

Learn more → https://paologroppo.blogspot.com/2025/09/domestic-equality-index-dei-draft.html

Learn more → Domestic sphere and public sphere

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How it works

• Participatory questionnaire: both partners fill it in independently.
• Three areas are considered: restricted, intermediate, and extended scope.
• Data collected remains anonymous and is used to generate an overall index, useful for couples, research, and policymaking.

Learn more → Further reflections on DEI

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Making the invisible visible is the first step toward change

The Domestic Parity Index was created to give voice to what happens at home, because gender justice begins in shared everyday life. Measuring means recognizing, and recognizing means being able to transform.

Join the project: parity begins with everyday gestures, and together we can make it real.

Voices from those who joined

Starting with us. This was the meeting with the DEI group. Not just a scientific investigation on Domestic Equality, but a shared reflection between women and men so that full Gender Equality can truly be built and thus a better world. Another world is still possible.

Rossana Piredda, Rifondazione Comunista Sardegna ★★★★★

There are still significant gender-based disparities in income, opportunities, and social recognition, which are in clear conflict with the principles of social justice enshrined in Article 3 of the Italian Constitution. Many different actors are committed to promoting their elimination, but their attention is often limited to public policy. Daily crime reports, however, are still full of reports of horrendous gender-based violence, demonstrating the persistent spread of a culture of machismo and patriarchy in the private sphere. Without eradicating this culture, significant and lasting economic and political results will not be achieved. The proposal to attempt to measure the distribution of domestic workload within couples in a community could be an important step in this direction, as it pushes us to collectively question a fundamental aspect of private life, which supports and perpetuates visible inequalities in public life. As they once said: "the private is political." And this is particularly evident in the fight against patriarchy, machismo, and gender-based violence.

Lelio Iapadre, Forum Disuguaglianze Diversità ★★★★★