Andorran Women Still Bear Most Household and Childcare Burdens Despite Progress

Women in Andorra continue to shoulder most household chores and childcare responsibilities, despite growing male involvement and social progress toward gender equality, according to experiences shared by 13 women from diverse professions ahead of International Women's Day on March 8.

The accounts, gathered from fields including sports, retail, healthcare, construction, transport, law, and entrepreneurship, highlight persistent imbalances in daily life. While younger generations report more equitable task-sharing at home, older women describe decades of handling the bulk alone. Canoeist Mònica Doria, 26, said tasks are now "completely shared" in her household, contrasting with her parents' more traditional setup. Retired hotel manager Maite Noguera, 64, who arrived from Lleida in 1971, noted that men now "do many more chores than before," though her generation rarely saw balance.

Work schedules often exacerbate challenges. Bus driver Nats Rego, 41, originally from Barcelona and in Andorra since 2002, said her late shifts mean she "barely sees" her partner, though he manages most home duties and pet care. She added that such hours make motherhood impossible: "I couldn't be a mother with these work schedules; I have no life."

Motherhood reveals stark disparities. Footballer Míriam Tizón, 34, described it as a "brake" on her semi-professional career, with inadequate support for bodily changes post-pregnancy—challenges men do not face. Site manager Patricia Galván, 43, who arrived in November 2024, faced skepticism from male workers unused to women in construction: "Many male laborers don't understand that a woman knows about building work."

Professional gains are evident but uneven. Andorra 2000 section head Alexandra Oliveira, 45, from Portugal, observed more women in roles inaccessible two decades ago. Tizón praised "incredible progress" in women's football, driven by media visibility. Yet cleaners like Antonia de Sousa, 52, who has lived here 32 years, work long hours just to make ends meet, while lawyer Patricia Bragança, 48, fought stigmas when opening her practice 21 years ago, with "micromachismos" still lingering.

Work-life balance remains elusive. Diplo CEO Marta Pujol, 41, structures her day from 8am to 3pm for business, then switches to parenting two young children. Entrepreneur Susana de Sousa, who arrived from Portugal 21 years ago with three children—one with a rare illness requiring overseas medical trips—noted some improvements but a "very closed mentality" persists. Psychologist Sílvia Palau, 35, emphasized ongoing mental loads and career impacts, especially differing maternity decisions for salaried versus self-employed women. Dietitian Alba López at Nostra Senyora de Meritxell Hospital said feminized roles like hers often go unnoticed.

The voices underscore societal advances—greater female visibility in leadership and shifting home dynamics—but affirm that true equality demands deeper changes in opportunities, responsibility-sharing, and recognition.