IKEA Sparks the Home Equality Conversation with Online Game 'FiftyFifty'

IKEA has always focused on creating a better everyday life at home through good quality, affordable furniture. However, a better everyday is also an equal everyday, and the company believes that gender equality at home is a crucial part in creating gender equality in society. But living on top of each other this past year has brought to light the increasingly unequal division of household work. And this is where Ingka Group would like to help. 

With women still taking on the biggest load of work - doing up to three times more unpaid care and domestic work than men globally according to OECD* - Ingka Group is using International Women’s Day to launch an online game to help couples open an honest and fun conversation about how to better balance responsibilities in the home. 

Developed in collaboration with relationship expert Jennie Miller, FiftyFifty is available for free via IKEA Instagram Stories in more than 20 countries. Over the course of a handful of questions, the game takes couples on a journey to unpack the roles and dynamics in their homes in a positive way. The intention is that both players become winners, as couples are inspired to think of solutions that suit their individual circumstances.

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. 

Jennie 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.”

Peter List, global head of equality, diversity and 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 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.


FiftyFifty is free to play on IKEA Instagram Stories from today.