Moscow's city hall authorities have reportedly 'taken pity' on women forced to do household tasks on their own, and have planned a "Husband for an hour" service to help them with chores they claim are fit to be done only by a man.
Under the new 'social service scheme', women can hire 'husbands' on an hourly basis to help fix leaking faucets or change a wiring, Andrei Besshtanko, the City Hall's social protection department, told local media, according to The Moscow Times.
Besshtanko said the services will be given free of cost to lower income households while the rest will be charged moderate fees.
While the plan seems sexist and rests on ancient stereotypes of tasks defined as 'a man's job', similar services are reportedly popular in the city, providing 'young and strong men with a huge set of technical skills' round the clock.
One such service, offered by a company with a rather direct name – 'Moscow Husband for an Hour', has a blatantly sexist customer message on its website, which reads as –
"You've just spent a long time in a store selecting a new light fixture for your hallway to perfectly match your new decor. But you're a beautiful woman with a killer manicure that was done only yesterday, and you're not ready to get intimate with a noisy and horribly vibrating drill. Who can come to your rescue in this case?" states the advertorial.
"Do not worry! The Husband for an hour in Moscow did not go to bed, and does not rest on the weekend! Simply dial his number, and he will rush to you armed with all the necessary tools."
This is not the first time the Mocsow City Hall is offering services for mundane household tasks.
It has been providing services for tasks such as cooking and changing bed covers, but it usually employs women to perform the tasks, according to The Moscow Times.
