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Parenthood as a driver of increased gender inequality during COVID-19? Exploratory evidence from Germany

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  • Hipp, Lena
  • Bünning, Mareike

Abstract

Drawing on three waves of survey data from a non-probability sample from Germany, this paper examines two opposing expectations about the pandemic’s impacts on gender equality: The optimistic view suggests that gender equality has increased, as essential workers in Germany have been predominantly female and as fathers have had more time for childcare. The pessimistic view posits that lockdowns have also negatively affected women’s jobs and that mothers had to shoulder the additional care responsibilities. Overall, our exploratory analyses provide more evidence supporting the latter view. Parents were more likely than non-parents to work fewer hours during the pandemic than before, and mothers were more likely than fathers to work fewer hours once lockdowns were lifted. Moreover, even though parents tended to divide childcare more evenly, at least temporarily, mothers still shouldered more childcare work than fathers. The division of housework remained largely unchanged. It is therefore unsurprising that women, in particular mothers, reported lower satisfaction during the observation period. Essential workers experienced fewer changes in their working lives than respondents in other occupations.

Suggested Citation

  • Hipp, Lena & Bünning, Mareike, 2021. "Parenthood as a driver of increased gender inequality during COVID-19? Exploratory evidence from Germany," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 23(S1), pages 658-673.
  • Handle: RePEc:zbw:espost:226174
    DOI: 10.1080/14616696.2020.1833229
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    Cited by:

    1. Claudia Andrade & Martie Gillen & José Alberto Molina & Melissa J. Wilmarth, 2022. "The Social and Economic Impact of Covid-19 on Family Functioning and Well-Being: Where do we go from here?," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 43(2), pages 205-212, June.
    2. Eggers, Thurid & Grages, Christopher & Pfau-Effinger, Birgit, 2024. "Informalizing childcare during the COVID-19 pandemic: Policy responses to childcare and their implications for working parents in Denmark, England and Germany," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).
    3. Elisa Brini & Stefani Scherer & Agnese Vitali, 2024. "Gender and Beyond: Employment Patterns during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Italy," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 43(3), pages 1-23, June.
    4. Radka Dudová & Alena Křížková, 2024. "Czech Parents Under Lockdown: Different Positions, Different Temporalities," Sociological Research Online, , vol. 29(1), pages 184-203, March.
    5. Hövermann, Andreas, 2021. "Belastungswahrnehmung in der Corona-Pandemie: Erkenntnisse aus vier Wellen der HBS-Erwerbspersonenbefragung 2020/21," WSI Policy Briefs 50, The Institute of Economic and Social Research (WSI), Hans Böckler Foundation.
    6. María‐Florencia Amorelli & Isabel‐María García‐Sánchez, 2023. "Leadership in heels: Women on boards and sustainability in times of COVID‐19," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 30(4), pages 1987-2010, July.
    7. Anna Kurowska & Agnieszka Kasperska, 2024. "Work from Home and Perceptions of Career Prospects of Employees with Children," Working Papers 2024-08, Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Warsaw.
    8. Sara Grubanov-Boskovic & Spyridon Spyratos & Stefano Maria Iacus & Umberto Minora & Francesco Sermi, 2021. "Monitoring COVID-19-induced gender differences in teleworking rates using Mobile Network Data," Papers 2111.09442, arXiv.org, revised Nov 2021.

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