The Covid pandemic, which reshaped countless aspects of daily life, has also caused a significant regression in gender roles within households, according to a new study published in Sex Roles. The research, conducted across 115 countries, highlights how the sudden increase in domestic responsibilities during the pandemic disproportionately fell on women, particularly in nations where gender equality was more prevalent. This shift has had notable implications for women’s relationship satisfaction and mental health, with stark differences observed depending on the level of economic gender equality in their country.
The goal of the study, which Alexandra N. Fisher and her colleagues led, was to look at how changes in the household labor division during the early stages of the pandemic affected people’s personal relationships and well-being. The research utilised data from over 10,000 participants across seven waves of surveys conducted between March and November 2020. The findings provide critical insights into the unintended consequences of the pandemic on gender dynamics within households.
As the pandemic took hold, there was a marked increase in domestic and caregiving responsibilities. Although men and women both experienced this rise, women were overwhelmingly burdened with the additional tasks, leading to a reversion to more traditional gender roles within many households. Both genders perceived this change in a similar way, but its effects were very different.
The impact of this progressive shift was most acutely felt by women in countries with higher levels of gender equality. In these nations, where women and men are generally expected to share domestic duties more equally, the sudden increase in traditional responsibilities led to a decline in women’s satisfaction with their personal relationships and overall mental health. This negative impact was not observed in countries with lower levels of gender equality, where traditional gender roles are more culturally entrenched and the shift was less disruptive.
Interestingly, the study found that men were largely unaffected by these changes in terms of their relationship satisfaction and mental health. This finding underscores the persistence of traditional gender norms, even in countries that have made significant strides towards gender equality. While women in more egalitarian countries faced the brunt of this shift, men continued to benefit from the status quo, remaining largely shielded from the increased domestic burden.
The research highlights the fragility of progress towards gender equality, particularly in times of crisis. It suggests that the pandemic has not only reinforced traditional gender roles but has also exacerbated existing inequalities, leaving women, especially in more gender-equal countries, feeling disempowered and strained by the return to outdated domestic expectations.
