IKEA’s New Instagram Game Puts Your Home Roles and Dynamics to the Test

The stark reality of most American households (of heterosexual couples anyway) is that women are still doing the lion’s share of household tasks and chores, with a 2020 Gallup poll finding that women still report taking primary responsibility for doing the laundry (58 percent), cleaning the house (51 percent) and preparing meals (51 percent). Of course, that’s along with working full-time jobs, shopping for groceries and other necessities, washing dishes, and caring for children, if they have them.

In honor of International Women’s Day, held annually on March 8, IKEA is shining a light on gender inequality in household work with a new digital card game that you can access from the brand’s Instagram Stories highlights. In a press release announcing the game, called FiftyFifty, IKEA shared that the collaboration with relationship expert Jennie Miller “takes couples, housemates, friends and co-workers on a journey to explore the roles and dynamics in our homes in a positive way.”

IKEA notes that the issue is a global one, with dire impacts as a result of COVID-19 lockdowns forcing households to reexamine the ways in which work and school can coexist with home life — and if you’ve got a full household, you know finding a balance is often way easier said than done.

The game itself is a fun, illuminating way to capture a glimpse of what your own household balance is like. Each question card includes a prompt that you can answer with other members of your household, aiming to start a conversation about equity in the household. Sample questions range from: “what’s the best thing about sharing a home with you?” to “did you know that women do three times as much unpaid housework?” making for an interactive way to confront inequality head-on.

Try it for yourself and see how your household ranks — you might be surprised to understand how your closest loved ones feel about their own roles in your abode, and work to find manageable ways to make things a little more equal for everyone. And get extra perks at IKEA with the Family Card.