Study Indicates High Number of Women Consider Divorce due to Domestic Chores
In a recent study, researchers from the German Institute for Economic Research (BiB) have shed light on the persisting gender disparities in household chores in Germany, particularly after the birth of the first child.
Most heterosexual Germans surveyed wish for an equal division of household chores in their relationships, yet the reality paints a different picture. The study reveals that women spend around 13 hours a week on cooking, cleaning, and washing, while men typically spend half that time on household tasks. Even in tasks like cooking and cleaning, men and women share equally in only 20% and 26% of partnerships, respectively.
The authors of the BiB study liken deeply ingrained gender role models to plate tectonics, suggesting they change very slowly. Detlev Lück, another study author, states that fathers are still often expected to secure the family income, while Jutta Allmendinger, sociologist and president of WZB, suggests that tax splitting creates incentives for mothers to stay at home longer after childbirth and later work part-time, while men continue to work full-time uninterrupted.
The introduction of a first child often exacerbates these disparities, as women frequently take on a greater share of childcare and domestic responsibilities, even if both partners were previously sharing chores more equitably. Around 80% of cohabiting couples reported that men are mainly responsible for repairs.
New parents fear implementing their equality ideas due to deeply rooted notions, according to the BiB study authors. One in five women in relationships with unequal division of household chores is considering ending the relationship, indicating a growing frustration with the status quo.
However, among younger generations, there seems to be greater social rejection of the idea that women should be solely responsible for household tasks. Young people themselves are less likely to endorse the idea that only women should handle housework and childcare.
Despite this shift in attitudes, the perceived fairness of housework distribution is not always closely linked to the actual amount of chores each partner does. Both men and women often report dissatisfaction with chore allocation, and this dissatisfaction is shaped more by cultural expectations and public narratives about gender roles than by actual time spent on chores.
To address these issues, the BiB recommends "more supportive framework conditions" for families with young children, including a family budget for daily helpers and flexible working time models. Jutta Allmendinger suggests broadening the concept of work in social policy to include housework and unpaid activities like child-rearing or care.
In conclusion, while attitudes among young adults in Germany are evolving towards greater gender equality in household chores, women still overwhelmingly shoulder the bulk of domestic work. The division remains unequal, and the perceived fairness depends on broader societal expectations and individual negotiation within partnerships—not just the actual hours spent on chores.
- Even with a desire for equal division, women in German relationships typically spend more time on household chores such as cooking, cleaning, and washing compared to men.
- The BiB study suggests that deeply-ingrained gender role models, much like plate tectonics, change slowly, with men often expected to secure the family income and women being pressured to stay at home after childbirth.
- Younger generations in Germany show a greater social rejection of the idea that women should be solely responsible for household tasks and childcare, yet the perceived fairness of housework distribution is often dependent on cultural expectations and public narratives about gender roles rather than the actual hours spent on chores.
- To tackle these persisting gender disparities in household chores, the BiB recommends creating supportive framework conditions for families with young children, such as offering family budgets for daily helpers and flexible working time models, and broadening the concept of work in social policy to include housework and unpaid activities like child-rearing or care.
