According to a new study examining the social impact of the crisis, couples without children are able to take on more housework after the pandemic begins than couples with children.
The direct impact of the lockdown in March last year did indeed lead to a rebalancing of housework between men and women. This makes some people hope that one of the quirks of Covid’s arrival may be the promotion of family equality.
However, with the closure of schools and nurseries, for couples with children, this shift towards more male responsibilities quickly disappeared. In contrast, couples without children were found to take on more family responsibilities.
The researchers said that the difference between the two may be partly due to a prejudice that women are more likely to be affected by school closures. Mothers are more likely to be interrupted in the work of caring for their children and helping homeschooling.
The study conducted by researchers in Bristol and Berlin used survey data covering more than 2,000 couples between the ages of 24 and 54. They studied behavior changes between March 2020 and September 2020, which included the first lockdown. After the lockdown, the percentage of women doing housework initially declined among all types of couples, but it was more pronounced for couples with children. There was a slight increase in May, and it fell again in June. However, by September 2020, those with children, those with older children, and those without children diverged in sharing the burden.
The study pointed out: “Couples with school-age children and couples with children between the ages of 0 and 5 have clearly retreated to the more traditional gender division of housework, but it is still below the reference level before the national lockdown in March 2020.”. Couples who have no children at home undertake more equal housework.”
Susan Harkness, a professor of public policy at the University of Bristol, said the research further dampened early hopes that forced social changes caused by the pandemic might promote equality. “Someone is trying to take a more positive attitude [on the impacts of the pandemic on housework]Maybe working from home is good for gender equality, and we will see some positive gains,” she said. “If men are more likely to stay at home, they can start doing housework.
“There is a short-term transition, but if you consider whether these changes persist and affect gender norms, that is not what we are seeing. For example, fathers are more likely to return to work sooner than mothers, so after Covid , The mother may fall behind in returning to work. When you close school, you increase the burden on women. I think this is a fairly clear story from this pandemic.”
Previous official data showed that women Bear the burden of homeschooling Compared with the first time, the second lock is much more. Data from the National Bureau of Statistics at the time found that 67% of women and 52% of men were responsible for their children’s education at home. More and more women report that homeschooling has a negative impact on their happiness. 53% of women are struggling, compared with 45% of men.Another survey earlier this year also showed that girls and young women aged 14-24 Have been taking responsibility For most of the housework during the pandemic, let them focus on education less time.
Harkness said the study points to the persistence of gender differences, which is reflected in differences in employment and pay during the pandemic. Last year, the Institute of Finance revealed that the average income of working-age women in the UK in 2019 was 40% lower than that of men. It found that Income Gap Compared with the mid-1990s, it has dropped by about 13%, but more than three-quarters of the drop can be explained by the rapid increase in women’s education. Compared with men, women of working age are less likely to get a college degree from 5 percentage points lower to 5 percentage points higher.
