Satisfaction and Fairness in Household and Childcare Duties

Mireia Almirall Llambrich , Centre d'Estudis Demogràfics
Joan García Román, Centre d'Estudis Demogràfics

Despite substantial social change I last decades, unpaid domestic and care work remains unequally distributed between men and women. Women continue to assume the main caregiving and household responsibilities, while men’s participation, although increasing, remains limited. These imbalances are often perceived as fair, with many couples valuing minimal male involvement as progress toward equality. However, satisfaction with the division of domestic labour varies significantly across cultural and institutional contexts. In egalitarian settings, unequal divisions tend to produce dissatisfaction, especially among women, whereas in more traditional societies, inequalities may coexist with high satisfaction due to prevailing gender norms. This study examines the relationship between perceptions of the division of reproductive labour and satisfaction across 11 countries from the Generations and Gender Programme (n = 49,507). Using data from the first wave of the second round of the survey, we analyze heterosexual couples aged 16–64. We construct categorical variables capturing the division of housework and care tasks, along with measures of satisfaction, and control for key demographic and socioeconomic factors. Preliminary results reveal persistent gender gaps in both perceived and reported contributions to unpaid work. Women report higher personal involvement, while men overestimate their participation and display higher satisfaction levels. Cross-national differences highlight the influence of cultural and policy contexts. These findings underscore how domestic labour divisions and perceptions of fairness reflect broader gender norms and contribute to the persistence of inequality in social reproduction.

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 Presented in Session 71. Domestic Labour and Partnership Satisfaction