This International Women’s Day, IKEA drops online game to spark conversation about equality in the home

• Developed in collaboration with relationship expert Jennie Miller, FiftyFifty is a conversation game to help couples work out how to balance household responsibilities 
• IKEA will mark the game’s launch by hosting a virtual concert by Swedish pop icon and passionate feminist, Zara Larsson

Ingka Group is taking on inequality in the home for International Women’s Day with the launch of a free digital game on IKEA Instagram feeds. Created with relationship expert Jennie Miller, FiftyFifty takes couples through 10 questions designed to start honest conversations about everyday equality, while having a bit of fun in the process. 

With women still doing up to three times more unpaid care and domestic work than men globally*, FiftyFifty strives to bring better balance in the home at a time when people are spending more time inside than ever before. 

IKEA collaborates with Zara Larsson to voice the need for everyday equality 

To support the launch of the game and inspire as many people as possible to play, IKEA has partnered with Swedish singer, and passionate feminist, Zara Larsson. A short film released today sees Larsson officially unveil FiftyFifty and deliver a frank yet empowering message about the importance of tackling inequality in the home.

Next week, on International Women’s Day, Zara will then appear in a free virtual gig, using her voice and platform to speak openly about an issue that is close to her heart, while performing songs from her new album ‘Poster Girl’. The concert will be streamed on YouTube to fans all over the world.

Zara said: “As a female artist, I feel the effects of inequality in my industry every day – many people don’t realise music is still such a male-dominated space. There are so many places where inequality still exists but goes unseen. As a society, we still have a way to go to ensure women have the same opportunities, the same chances to succeed, as men. And that really has to start in our own homes, in our own lives and relationships. That’s why IKEA felt like the perfect partner for International Women’s Day, because they’re really trying to help make the world more equal from the ground up.”

FiftyFifty arrives at a crucial time, with ongoing lockdowns intensifying many household pain points. Recent research** on the effects of COVID-19 indicates that the load of additional household work during the pandemic is unevenly carried by women. 

Relationship expert Jennie Miller said: “In the best of times, the division of household chores can be challenging for couples and add an unnecessary level of stress.  Add in home working and home schooling due to lockdowns, and the situation is exacerbated even further. And with women still undertaking more of the basic care needs, this is causing strains in many relationships, regardless of their length or the life stage of the couple. FiftyFifty provides a pause button to help us all, regardless of gender, revaluate and re- set our home life. In many cases, an open and honest conversation is the first step to resolving imbalance.”

IKEA, which has always focused on creating a better everyday life at home, also recognises that a better everyday means an equal everyday. The company believes addressing gender equality at home is crucial to ensuring gender equality in society. 

Peter List, Global Head of Equality, Diversity & Inclusion at IKEA Retail, said the unequal sharing of responsibilities in the home is holding women back personally and professionally:

“We’ve always known that lack of equality at home has direct implications for women’s economic position and undermines their potential. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has amplified existing gender inequalities, and empowering women in their homes has never been more important. A third of women in the key retail markets where IKEA is present say that their careers are held back because they do more in the home than men. We owe it to them to play our part in helping to address the imbalance, and equally to all our customers who expect us to help make a difference beyond the walls of IKEA. Greater equality at home means greater gender equality in society”. 

Ingka Group’s equality journey 

Ingka Group has pledged to close the gender gap in all parts of its business. Some of its achievements and commitments to create a fairer and more inclusive world for customers and co-workers alike include:

• Ingka Group has reached 50/50 gender balance in management positions.
• By 2022, we want 50/50 gender balance in all boards, stores and everything in between.
• We have committed to gender equal pay across Ingka Group by the end of 2021.
• In 2018, all 18 Ingka Group countries in the European Union signed their national Diversity Charter, committing to promote diversity and equal opportunities in the workplace and in society. 
• During 2016 and 2017, Ingka Group co-chaired the first UN High-Level Panel on Women’s Economic Empowerment, to help unlock potential for women to fully participate in the economy and achieve financial independence.

Zara Larsson’s International Women’s Day Concert, presented by Live Nation, will air on YouTube at 20.00 CET. For more information and to register for the concert, visit youtube.com/ZaraLarssonOfficial.  

*Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Measuring Women’s Economic Empowerment Gender Policy Paper, www.oecd.org/dev/development-gender/MEASURING-WOMENS-ECONOMIC-EMPOWERMENT-Gender-Policy-Paper-No-16.pdf

**Womens Budget Group, wbg.org.uk
“Before the pandemic women did 60% more unpaid work in the home, including care work. During the first lock down, this unpaid work increased slightly for men but vastly for women.” 

For more information on Ingka Group’s equality journey visit:
https://www.ingka.com/news/why-does-embracing-diversity-make-sense-for-ingka-group/
 

About Zara Larsson

All women have superpowers. Wielding those superpowers, Zara Larsson provokes and pushes pop music and culture forward with empowered, enlightened and energized anthems that soar and seduce all at once. Her RIAA platinum-certified 2017 full-length, So Good, notably stands out as “the second-most-streamed debut on Spotify by a female artist ever,” eclipsing 5.5 billion streams. Her growing catalogue includes the triple-platinum “Never Forget You” with MNEK, the platinum “Lush Life” and “Ain’t My Fault,” and, most recently, 2019’s gold “Ruin My Life.” At the 2017 Nobel Prize Peace Concert, she performed the platinum “Symphony” with collaborators Clean Bandit. Emerging from lockdown in 2020 with a fierce, focused, and feminine fire, Zara arrives with a bold and boundary breaking body of work for her forthcoming international album.