Women do THREE times more housework than men — even when both have full-time jobs
WOMEN do nearly three times more housework than men — even when both have full-time jobs.
A study found only one in 14 couples equally share chores such as cooking, ironing and cleaning.
On average women spend 16 hours a week on domestic duties, while men dedicate six hours. Experts from University College London analysed data on more than 8,500 couples.
They divided them into eight groups depending on their jobs, such as dual earners or one partner working.
In 93 per cent of couples women did most housework.
'FOLLOWING STEREOTYPES'
Even when both partners worked full-time and believed tasks should be spilt equally, men still did fewer chores.
Researchers found women in dual-earning households spent between ten and 19 hours on household tasks weekly. But men in this group did less than five hours.
Only where women were the main earners or where men were “house-husbands” did the balance of chores flip.
Researcher Prof Anne McMunn said couples may be stuck following the example of their parents’ generation.
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She said: “It seems we are just following stereotypes that will hopefully change with time. I don’t think there is some inherent female desire to clean toilets.”
Prof McMunn said closing the gender pay gap and boosting parental leave could improve the housework balance.
The study is published in the journal Work, Employment and Society.
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