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Gender Gaps in Unpaid Domestic and Care Work: Putting The Pandemic in (a Life Course) Perspective

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  • Janeen Baxter
  • Alice Campbell
  • Rennie Lee

Abstract

Our paper examines trends in gender inequalities in unpaid domestic and care work over the short‐ and long‐term in Australia, including assessing the impact of the COVID‐19 lockdowns. We use the concept of time—historical, biographical and transitional—as a framework for our analyses. Drawing on data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey, we find wide and continuing gender gaps in unpaid work over the past two decades. We demonstrate that parenthood is a far greater producer and exacerbator of gender inequalities in unpaid domestic and care work than COVID‐19 lockdowns.

Suggested Citation

  • Janeen Baxter & Alice Campbell & Rennie Lee, 2023. "Gender Gaps in Unpaid Domestic and Care Work: Putting The Pandemic in (a Life Course) Perspective," Australian Economic Review, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, vol. 56(4), pages 502-515, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ausecr:v:56:y:2023:i:4:p:502-515
    DOI: 10.1111/1467-8462.12538
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Abi Adams-Prassl & Teodora Boneva & Marta Golin & Christopher Rauh, 2022. "The impact of the coronavirus lockdown on mental health: evidence from the United States," Economic Policy, CEPR, CESifo, Sciences Po;CES;MSH, vol. 37(109), pages 139-155.
    2. Judith Derndorfer & Franziska Disslbacher & Vanessa Lechinger & Katharina Mader & Eva Six, 2021. "Home, sweet home? The impact of working from home on the division of unpaid work during the COVID-19 lockdown," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(11), pages 1-26, November.
    3. Janeen Baxter & Deborah Cobb‐Clark & Alexander Cornish & Tiffany Ho & Guyonne Kalb & Lorraine Mazerolle & Cameron Parsell & Hal Pawson & Karen Thorpe & Lihini De Silva & Stephen R. Zubrick, 2021. "Never Let a Crisis Go to Waste: Opportunities to Reduce Social Disadvantage from COVID‐19," Australian Economic Review, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, vol. 54(3), pages 343-358, September.
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