TAKING IT FURTHER

1 In your opinion, when does gender equality start?

2 Before reading the following text, take a look at its to read about?

Now read the text and do Suggested answers: A new law in Spain which forces children to help with household tasks./A Spanish law forcing children to do chores./Gender equality in childhood.

www.theguardian.com/theobserver/she-said/2014

Gender equality starts in childhood… with the chores

Lucy Fisher cheered when she heard about a new law in Spain which forces children to help with household tasks, regardless of their sex

Lucy Fisher

Thu 8 May 2014 12.00 BST

It was the headline that made lazy teens worldwide shudder: Spain is to introduce a law forcing children to do chores.

(...) There’s a surprisingly progressive detail in the Rights and Duties of Children Bill that’s worth noting: the “co-responsibility in caring for the home and performing household tasks” shall be carried out “regardless of... gender”.

(...) If we want a society of well-adjusted, self-sufficient adults, we must make sure we equip children for all facets of life and give them an element of choice in their future lives. And to do that, we must ensure that male and female children share equal obligations. Legalistic Spain has clearly come to the same conclusion too. (...) This latest law for children suggests that the nation now realises equality (...) needs to begin in childhood.

FISHER, Lucy. Gender equality starts in childhood… with the chores. The Guardian, 8 maio 2014. Disponível em: www.theguardian.com/theobserver/she-said/2014/may/08/gender-equality-startsin-childhood-with-the-chores. Acesso em: 22 jun. 2022.

Shudder

verb

UK / ∫  r/ US / ∫  ·ɚ/ to shake, usually because you are thinking of something bad estremecer

• She shuddered with horror.

SHUDDER. In: CAMBRIDGE Dictionary. 2022. Disponível em: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/ dictionary/english-portuguese/ shudder. Acesso em: 22 jun. 2022.

3 What happened to Lucy Fisher, the author of the text, when she heard about a law forcing children to do chores? Choose the picture that best illustrates her reaction.

Habilidades da BNCC

O exercício 5 contempla a seguinte habilidade da BNCC:

• EF09LI06: Distinguir fatos de opiniões em textos argumentativos de esfera jornalística.

O exercício 6 contempla a seguinte habilidade da BNCC: a. “Spain is to introduce a law forcing children to do chores.” F b. “There’s a surprisingly progressive detail in the Rights and Duties of Children Bill (...)” O c. “(...) we must make sure we equip children for all facets of life (...)” O d. “(...) we must ensure that male and female children share equal obligations.” O

• EF09LI09: Compartilhar, com os colegas, a leitura dos textos escritos pelo grupo, valorizando os diferentes pontos de vista defendidos, com ética e respeito.

4 According to the author of the text, there is an important detail in the Rights and Duties of Children Bill. What is it?

The “co-responsibility in caring for the home and performing household tasks” shall be carried out “regardless of... gender”.

5 Fact or opinion? In your notebook, write F if the fragment refers to a fact presented in the text or O if it refers to the author’s opinion on the topic of the text.

6 Do you think a law forcing children, regardless of gender, to help with household tasks can help end gender inequality? Why (not)? In small groups, make a list of strong points to support your opinion. Then, share your list with other classmates and get to know different perspectives on the same topic. Personal answers.