Half way to gender equality in work? -- Evidence from time use data Jonathan Gershuny & Man Yee Kan Centre for Time Use Research Department of Sociology University of Oxford

Half way to gender equality in work ? -- Evidence from time use data Jonathan Gershuny & Man Yee Kan Centre for Time Use Research Department of Sociology University of Oxford

40 years’ change in “work” time Data from time diaries The Multinational Time Use Study » > 50 surveys » > 20 countries » > 500,000 day-cases. Centre for Time Use Research (

The Multinational Time Use Study historic cases only: 12 countries, 44 surveys, 437,374 days

Definitions of work Unpaid Work includes: –Core domestic: cooking and cleaning –Other domestic: gardening, odd-jobs etc –Shopping and domestic travel –Child- and adult care, voluntary work Paid work includes: –Work in workplace, at home –Full time education –Work search and other related activity –Travel to work All work = paid + unpaid +ft. education

About half way to gender equality? Theories of lagged adaptation: Gender ideologies from childhood socialisation Realities in gender relations in adulthood More egalitarian ideology in the next generation Speculation: 2-3 generations to achieve equality 2009 perhaps half way to equality

A less optimistic view Barriers to gender equality in work Gender segregation in domestic labour Doing gender – housework and gender identities Gender segregation in working hours and schedules

Association between domestic work time and relative potential earnings - women

Association between domestic work time and relative potential earnings - men

Association between working week schedules and workers’ characteristics - UK 2000

Types of workweeks - UK 2000

Conclusion Trends in working time indicate that 2009 is about the half way to gender equality in work But – gender segregation in domestic work and in paid work time Further research into effects of public policy regimes on the gender division of labour