Background to the Research

• The Women's Working Lives Survey was commissioned by the Equal Opportunities Commission for Northern Ireland in 1990. The survey was designed to: (1) identify factors which determine whether or not women participate in paid work and how the unpaid work undertaken by women in the home influences their involvement in the labour market; (2) to record the type of paid work women have done and do, as well as their attitudes and experiences of employment

Research Approach

• 1000 women were interviewed who lived in private households and were aged between 18 and 65. The sample was drawn from the 1990 Register of Electors using a 2 stage proportionate random sample. The interview took a semi-structured approach, including some prompt items.

Main Findings

• In 1961, just under 30% of married women had a paid job, compared to 59% by the 1980s.
• In 1985, 43% of all economically active couples were dual earners. As such, the traditional 'male earner, female carer' pattern is no longer as valid.

Mothers and paid work

• In 1959, 12% of mothers with children aged 0-4 were in employment, compared to 43% in 1989, most of whom were in full time employment
• 62% of women agreed that having children had a detrimental effect on their availability for work, especially for younger women. Husbands, wives and paid work
• 62% of married and cohabiting women aged under 60 were economically active, and 56% were in paid work.
• 51% of households consisted of dual earner couples; 29% had a male breadwinner, and 6% had a female breadwinner.
• 4% of women in dual earner couples earned the same as their partner; only 6% earned more than their partner.
• For the majority of couples where the man was unemployed, the women was too; where the man was employed, the women was more likely to be employed.
• The majority of women (75%) reported joint management of income regardless of the economic activity of the respondent and their partner.

Housework

• 62% of women strongly agreed, and 32% agreed that housework should be shared with their partners. Younger women were more likely to strongly agree.
• The majority of women carried out most of the housework, whether or not they had a paid job. However, participation varied according to the economic status of both partners.
• However, 71% of women carried out all or most of the housework, and only 26% said that housework was shared equally. There was little difference by age or by stages in life cycle.
• 40% of women working full time in dual earner couples said that housework was shared, although 58% said they did all or most of it. Figures for women working part time in dual earner couples were 14% and 86% respectively.
• Where both partners were unemployed, housework was shared in only 16% of cases. o Some household tasks were the reserve of women only: 73% of women said their partner never did washing and 82% never did ironing. While relatively few (24%) partners never cooked a meal, only 21% of partners were said to cook often.

Childcare

• Childcare was more likely to be shared than housework: 40% of respondents said that childcare was/had been shared equally, although 9% reported that child was/had been undertaken by the woman only.
• The sharing of childcare decreased with age: 53% of women aged 21-30 said that childcare was shared, compared to 28% of women aged 51-59.
• Men were more likely to participate in childcare when children are young - 48% of mothers with children under 5 said that childcare was shared equally, compared to only 35% of mothers with children aged 11-16.
• 60% of couples shared childcare where the woman worked full time in a dual earner couple, 42% where the woman worked part time, and 29% when there was a male breadwinner couple.
• Men's participation varied among tasks: 51% of fathers never took children to the doctors, but only 3% had never played with them. 24% had never changed a nappy.

Conclusion

• The traditional idea of the Northern Ireland family as 'male breadwinner, female homemaker' has been eroded.
• Mothers of very young children are now remaining in paid work.
• There is little evidence that changes in the labour market have changed the organisation of unpaid work in the home, and most women still have responsibility for the home and family, whether or not they have a paid job. However, there has been some change in men's participation and in their extent of involvement in housework and childcare.
• Men are more likely to participate and be more involved in housework and childcare when both partners are in full time work, when there is a female breadwinner or when both couples are unemployed.
• Men are more likely to participate in childcare than housework, although there is some variation by task.
• For most of Northern Ireland couples, childcare and housework remain women's work.