Household study: ‘Entrenched expectations of gender’ see women doing more housework

A leading women’s writer says it’s “entrenched expectations of gender” that sees working women doing more housework than men, even if the women work full-time.

The HILDA (Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia) survey found women are doing 13 hours a week more household work than men.

Georgina Dent, contributing editor of Women’s Agenda, a mum and a former lawyer told Neil Mitchell she “wished it wasn’t the case” but she does do more housework than her partner.

“I think the HILDA study shows and what other data from around the world shows even when women are working full time and men are staying at home, those women are still doing more than half of the unpaid work,” she said.

“We have such entrenched expectations of gender.”

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“Maybe women do the work because if the man does it, then they have to go and do it again,” Neil said.