<h2 class="wp-block-heading eplus-wrapper" id="crosshead">Dirty secret</h2>

Housework is never done. When you have cleaned the last dish, put away the laundry and swept the floor - it begins again. An endless war on grease and grime, fought mostly by women.

Spain plans to end this gender imbalance. A new app will log household chores. The equality ministry says the app will shed light on the "invisible tasks" done by women and make men do their share.

In the 1960s, women did over 85% of housework. The gap has narrowed and British men now do an extra 24 minutes a day.¹ But as more women work full-time, housework has become a "second shift" of unpaid labour.

Gender norms are "strong and sticky," says sociologistSomeone who studies human social behaviour. Modern sociology was developed by European thinkers in the 19th century, but it is also based on the writings of African American thinkers like W. E. B. DuBois. Joanna Pepin.² Men are still reluctant to do jobs considered "women's work".

Many use self-tracking apps and devices to log their health. Fans say they make us happier. But can they also solve inequality?

From the washing machine to the robot hoover, technology has revolutionised housework. But labour-saving tech does not always save labour. Sociologist Leah Ruppanner says they raise "standards of cleanliness" and put pressure on women.

She says we need a "cultural shift" with an honest debate about expectations and division of labour. Gender expert Kate Mangino suggests couples "auditAn inspection of a company or group's accounts or finances. " who does what. And an app could make that easier.

However, researchers have also found men "see mess differently" and disagree on the value of housework.³ Sometimes the law intervenes. In 2017, a Spanish court forced a man to pay his ex-wife €23,000 (£20,000) for her housework.

One radical solution is to pay people for house chores. The International Wages for Housework Campaign calls for a "care income" to compensate for all forms of unpaid work.

One day in 1975, the women of Iceland went on strike. Fathers were forced to take children to work. Shops sold out of sausages as men frantically fed their families. One of the strike's results was the world's first elected female head of state.⁴

Studies also show women do more "cognitive" labour than men: essential planning and organising. It is unclear how an app will measure this.

But expert Kate Mangino says men should welcome equality. Equal partners are "exhausted" but stronger and happier working as a "team".

Yes: Knowledge is power. Men may think they do their fair share, but the data will reveal the truth. This app will divide jobs fairly and end rows over whose turn it is to empty the bins.

No: What a chore! The last thing we need is another app tracking everything we do. And it will not work because people will never agree on what counts as work or how to measure it.

Or... Like all technology, this app is a tool. On its own, it will not solve the problem of gender equality. But it can help start a discussion about this issue and begin to change gender norms.

Sociologist - Someone who studies human social behaviour. Modern sociology was developed by European thinkers in the 19th century, but it is also based on the writings of African American thinkers like W. E. B. DuBois.

Audit - An inspection of a company or group's accounts or finances.