I'm not sure that there was ever a time when the division of labour between the workplace and the home seemed natural and harmonious. But in recent decades - with all the upheaval of our various social and sexual revolutions - the home sphere has become contentious. Who should do what around the house has become hugely political; particularly amongst that generation of women who were raised to become professionals outside the home.
What we all know now of course is that we ignore the work of building a home at our peril. But who should take the responsibility for that work? The Homemakers' Project team travelled for several months around Europe and the Americas, filming people from diverse groups connected with homemaking in some form. From domestic workers to economists, from women maintaining homes and professions to women, including me, who have made the decision to leave their careers and concentrate on their home life, the documentary team have produced a powerful call for recognition of the importance of the home.
This week, the Home Renaissance Foundation in collaboration with Associazione Culturale Fontana Nuova, has launched the documentary, the Homemakers Project. Although the clips have previously been available to view, this is the first time that an edited version has appeared. It makes for fascinating, and sometimes moving, viewing; bringing together, as it does, academics, professionals and full-time homemakers, to talk about the fundamental importance of work in the home. Its aim is to remind all of us of just how crucial this work is, not just individually, but in a much wider social context.