Latvia, a small European country, is experiencing a drought of a different kind: a dearth of men, forcing Latvian women to hire “husbands for an hour” to undertake home duties, according to The Sun. The country has 15.5% more women than men, which is more than three times the average difference in the EU, according to Eurostat.
Growing gender gap demand for renatal husband
Among seniors, the gender disparity is much more pronounced. Women over 65 outnumber men by nearly two to one, according to World Atlas. This disparity is evident not only in demography but also in daily activities, places of employment, and social interactions.
Imbalance among elderly population
The popularity of websites like Komanda24, which provide “Men With Golden Hands” to perform jobs like TV mounting, carpentry, plumbing, and maintenance without awkward courting or dating, has skyrocketed. In the meanwhile, Remontdarbi.lv fills the void created by the lack of Latvian males by allowing women to hire a “husband for an hour” online or over the phone, who will show up within 60 minutes to handle home tasks like painting walls or repairing drapes.
According to Dania, who works at festivals, the majority of her coworkers are female, she told The New York Post. Even while she likes the setting, she acknowledged that social interactions and work would be more dynamic with a more fair gender ratio. According to her friend Zane, many women travel overseas in search of relationships because “there are just not enough men.”
Experts believe that men’s shorter life expectancies, which are caused by greater smoking rates and lifestyle-related health problems, contribute to Latvia’s gender disparity.
Health issues behind Latvia’s Skewed gender ratio
“Men are about three times more likely to smoke, with 31% of the male population smoking compared to just 10% of the female population. Men are also slightly more likely to be obese or overweight, with 62% of men being overweight or obese compared to 57% of women,” as per World Atlas.
The trend goes global beyond Latvia
The idea of “renting a husband” isn’t unique to Latvia. Back in 2022, a woman in the UK, Laura Young, gained widespread attention after she began offering her husband James’s skills for hire to earn some extra income.
The couple runs a service called Rent My Handy Husband, which covers everything from basic DIY work and painting to tiling, decorating, and laying carpets. James, 42, charges about $44 an hour or $280 for a full day. The demand has grown so much that they’ve even had to decline several job requests.
