A Shortage Of Men In Latvia Has Reportedly Encouraged Women To Take Drastic Measures To Get Some Help Around The House
Eva March | Shutterstock Despite a valiant fight for gender equality, many stereotypes persist in our society. For example, data from Gallup showed that women are still more likely to take on chores like laundry and cooking, while men do yardwork and fix cars more frequently.
As a feminist, I feel obligated to say that a woman could learn to do anything that is traditionally considered a man’s job. YouTube tutorials exist so we can all change tires regardless of our gender. Still, I will admit there are certain things a man could do faster or more easily. This is fine if you have a man available, but Latvia is facing a shortage, which has left women there with a problem to solve.
Latvia has so many more women than men that they’ve started hiring ‘husbands for an hour’ to help out.
Statistics from Eurostat show that there are 4.4% more women than men across the European Union. This number is significantly higher in Latvia, where there are 15.5% more women. These Latvian ladies are struggling to get traditionally male tasks completed, so they’re basically renting husbands.
Antonius Ferret | Pexels
A report from The Sun explained that women in Latvia are turning to “husband for an hour” services to find someone to help them around the house. This may sound a bit ridiculous, but Latvian women said they really do miss having enough men to go around. Dania, a 29-year-old single festival worker, told The Sun that 98% of her co-workers are women.
“There’s nothing wrong with that … but just for the good balance, you would want to have some more men to flirt or chat with,” she said. “It’s just more interesting.”
This discrepancy between the number of men and women is attributed to health concerns.
With 53.68% of its population made up of women, Latvia is the country with the second-highest percentage of women outnumbering men, per WorldAtlas. The only country with an even higher female population is Moldova.
The life expectancy for men is lower than it is for women in Latvia. WorldAtlas added that men have a higher chance of smoking and being obese in Latvia, so their health is just not as good overall. Sociologist Baiba Bela explained that men are also disproportionately affected by things like car and workplace accidents and alcoholism.
If you’re anything like me, you probably think that a country with more women than men sounds like a utopia. However, it’s a general rule across the world that there’s a pretty equal number of men and women born. Statistician Ronald Fisher believed this was because the gender ratio will always lean towards equality unless an evolutionary force disrupts it.
There are times when it’s useful to have a man around, as Latvian women clearly know.
Despite the fact that a woman can absolutely learn how to hang a light fixture or do whatever else it is they need, there is an obvious difference between women and men. Psychiatrist Neel Burton noted that men are usually physically stronger because they have a higher muscle mass. Men tend to be about six inches taller than women, as well.
Gustavo Fring | Pexels
For these reasons, it’s understandable that you might want a man on the job when you’re rearranging furniture or hanging a picture right where the wall meets the ceiling. It doesn’t mean that women are weaker or at a disadvantage.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about Latvian women being forced to “hire husbands” is that they feel the shortage most keenly when they need things done. Zane, a friend of Dania’s, told The Sun that she knows a lot of women who have traveled abroad to find love, but that doesn’t seem to be the main focus for Latvian women. I can support that.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism who covers news, psychology, lifestyle, and human interest topics.
