The holidays are a season of celebration and festivities. People all over the world return home, spend precious time with their loved ones, kick their feet up and reflect on the past year and the one to come. But this is not the complete reality for a lot of Black women, who are weighed down by domestic expectations and gendered obligations during the festive season. 

Women already struggle with gender roles and expectations, both at home and even at work. According to UNESCO, women are responsible for 75% of all unpaid care and domestic work. It is also estimated that women spend an average of 4.5 hours per day doing unpaid work compared to 1.5 hours per day for men.

During festive periods and family-oriented celebrations such as Christmas and Eid, these expectations are multiplied. Domestic labour, such as food preparation, cleaning and caregiving are more often than not imposed on the female members of the family, often resulting in undue physical strain and fatigue, while their male counterparts are exempted.