More work done in pandemic
We have extensive research proving that the pandemic has disrupted the work and family life of women – especially mothers – in devastating ways. Women were forced out of employment at higher rates than men in occupations that closed due to economic reasons, forcing them to rely more on their own savings and incentive payments. All this while managing the burden of homework, child care and homeschooling.
Men also worked more in the epidemic
The turn to distance and hybrid education meant that mothers, not fathers, had to increase their workload a little more to meet these new demands. The father did much of the housework at the beginning of the pandemic while staying at home and kept up with it over time. Yet, as my colleagues Brendan Churchill and Lynn Craig show, fathers increased their homework, but so did mothers, meaning the gender gap persisted over that time. So, while men should be commended for overworking during the pandemic, we see that mothers were the true heroes of the pandemic, taking on the overworked workload at the cost of their own health and well-being.
Women do more household work even with jobs
This parallels decades of research showing that women do more housework, even when they are employed full-time, make more money, and especially once they have children. Men have increased their homework and childcare contributions over time and young men want to be more present, active and attentive in the home.
Melbourne: Australian census data has been released showing that women typically do several hours more unpaid housework per week than men. This is nothing new. In 2016, “typical” men in Australia did less than five hours of housework a week, while “typical” Australian women spent between five and 14 hours a week doing housework. Earlier, the 2006 Census also revealed that the burden of domestic work is on the shoulders of women.