Out of Sight, Not Out of Mind. Invisible Gender Inequality, Mental Load, and Fertility Intentions in Italy

Elena Vettoretto , University of Padova
Alessandra Minello, University of Padova
Livia Elisa Ortensi, University of Bologna
Francesca Tosi, University of Bologna

The unequal distribution of unpaid work between men and women persists in contemporary couples, but one crucial component of this imbalance often remains invisible: the mental load required to organize and coordinate everyday family life. This study examines how gender inequality in the distribution of the mental load—defined as the unequal distribution of cognitive, managerial, and emotional responsibilities within couples—relates to mothers’ fertility intentions. Using original data from a nationally representative survey of 2,309 Italian mothers of one child, we employ a newly adapted multidimensional scale inspired by Wayne et al. (2023) to measure both mothers’ and partners’ mental labor as perceived by the mother. Results show that a larger perceived gap in mental load between partners and a higher maternal mental load are both negatively associated with fertility intentions, whereas a higher partner’s perceived mental load is positively related to mothers’ intentions to have another child. Moreover, interaction analyses reveal that the detrimental effect of inequality is particularly pronounced when mothers report medium-to-high levels of mental load, whereas greater paternal engagement mitigates this effect. Finally, disaggregating mental load into its three components shows that emotional load is the main factor reducing fertility intentions among mothers, while managerial load perceived in partners increases them. Overall, the findings highlight that invisible forms of gender inequality—embedded in the mental organization of family life—represent a new frontier in understanding the link between gender equity and fertility in low-fertility contexts such as Italy

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 Presented in Session 5. Flash Session Parenthood, Childbearing, and Family Formation