Imagine waking up and realizing the unwritten rules your community has followed for generations about who does the chores and who makes the money aren't actually set in stone.

That is exactly what happened for 80 people in Kebbi State, Nigeria. Over a few days at the Jam Valley Hotel in Birnin Kebbi (Sept 28th - Oct 2nd 2026), we brought together people from Augie, Gwandu, and Jega communities to flip the script on traditional gender roles. 

Through the Strengthening Social Protection Systems for Inclusive, Gender-Transformative, and Climate-Smart Safety Nets in Kebbi State (EU-SOSAN) project, implemented by Oxfam alongside our partners Solidarités International, Jireh Doo Foundation, and the Association of Women Living With HIV and AIDS, and proudly funded by the European Union, we did not just give them boring lectures. Instead, we handed out markers and asked participants to map out their time and draw their futures.

Here is how a mix of eye-opening math and creative drawing is helping families find balance, respect, and peace.

The 24-Hour 'Who Does What?' Challenge

Have you ever stopped to calculate exactly how you spend your 24 hours?

The training kicked off with something called Rapid Care Analysis (we’ll just call it the Time Challenge). The goal was simple: write down everything a family does in one day, from cooking and fetching water to farming and going to the office.

For a lot of the men in the room, it was a massive shock. Many admitted that before the exercise, they did not really think the cooking, cleaning, and childcare that women do all day was real work.

When they added up the hours, the reality was impossible to ignore. Women were carrying a massive, invisible backpack of unpaid chores.

How to read this web: This chart shows who carries the biggest load at home. The further the colour stretches to the outer edge, the more work that group does!

Try it out: Click or tap on Women & Girls or Men & Boys at the top of the chart to hide or show their stats and compare the difference.

Participants in Birnin Kebbi map out their daily 24-hour routines, discovering exactly who does the most unpaid work at home. Photo: Maxwell Osarenkhoe/Oxfam

Male participants in Birnin Kebbi map out their daily 24-hour routines, discovering exactly who does the most unpaid work at home. Photo: Maxwell Osarenkhoe/Oxfam

Participants in Birnin Kebbi map out their daily 24-hour routines, discovering exactly who does the most unpaid work at home. Maxwell Osarenkhoe/Oxfam

Female participants in Birnin Kebbi map out their daily 24-hour routines, discovering exactly who does the most unpaid work at home. Maxwell Osarenkhoe/Oxfam

Participant using a GALS tool: Vision Road Journey

Female participant interacting with a GALS tool: Vision Road Journey. Photo: Maxwell Osarenkhoe/Oxfam

Drawing the Future, Literally

Once everyone realized the workload was completely unbalanced, it was time to fix it. But instead of just talking, they started drawing.

Using the Gender Action Learning System tool, participants used markers and sticky notes to sketch out their goals.

  • The Gender Justice Diamond: They mapped out things they loved (like family time, good food, and peace) and things they hated (like domestic violence, dirty environments, and arguing).
  • The Happy Family Tree: They drew trees where the roots represented the husband and wife supporting each other equally. If the roots were unbalanced, meaning one person held all the power or did all the work, the tree would fall over.
  • The Vision Road Journey: They drew a road to their biggest dreams, marking out the exact steps, saving goals, and challenges they would face along the way.
Overhead view of multiple participants' hands using markers and bright sticky notes to collaboratively draw a diagram on a large sheet of paper.

Participants collaborate to map their household dynamics and future aspirations using visual tools during the group exercise. Photo Credit: Maxwell Osarenkhoe/Oxfam

Real Stories, Real Change

This was not just a fun arts and crafts session. These drawings changed how people actually run their lives. Here are a few people who are rewriting the rules in Kebbi State:

Maryam’s New Business Plan

Before the training, Maryam Yahaya from Jega thought house chores were strictly a woman's job, while men were supposed to find the food. She did not think she could be part of big money decisions. Now? She is planning to start her own business so she can support her husband when times are tough, and they have agreed to share the decision-making.

The Takeaway

Change does not always have to be complicated. Sometimes, all it takes is a piece of paper, a few markers, and the courage to admit that the old way of doing things is not fair. By balancing the workload and sharing the power, these families (champions) in Kebbi State are not just making their homes happier, they are building stronger, wealthier communities.