The Persistent Divide: Household Tasks in Modern Relationships
Majority of Unpreferred Home Tasks Persist in Female Households, According to Poll Data - Majority of Menial Household Tasks Left for Women: Study Shows 70 Percent
A recent survey sheds light on a lingering issue - the unequal distribution of household chores in most households.
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Still, many consider DIY furniture work and grilling as 'men's tasks'. Only 7% of men believe that grilling should be a 'woman's task' in their household.
Interestingly, fewer than a third of women believe that household responsibilities are evenly shared with their partners. A significant proportion, 38%, of women in multi-person households crave more support from their partners in keeping the place tidy. Similarly, 36% of women yearn for help with cleaning.
Despite a perceived unfairness in the division of labor, with 67% of women and 50% of men observing this issue in their immediate environment, there's an optimistic outlook. A majority, 72% of men and 65% of women, are confident that gender equality in private relationships has been on an upward trend over the past few decades.
The kitchen, it seems, presents an opportunity for change. Close to a quarter of women in multi-person households reported that men are now responsible for most of the cooking. Interestingly, 41% of men claimed that they normally prepare the meals.
- Women
- Modern Households
- Domestic Labor
- Partnership
- Men's Roles
- Chores
- Women's Burden
Enrichment Data:The imbalance in household tasks between men and women, as revealed by the 2025 Mumsnet survey, indicates a continued preference for traditional gender roles. Highlights include:
- Women predominantly take charge of cleaning, washing, cooking for children, tidying up, and ironing. For instance, 71% of women handle the weekly cleaning, 77% are responsible for washing, 70% cook for the children, and 63% engage in more tidying up than men[1].
- On average, women devote around 10 extra hours per week to household chores compared to men[1].
- Men concentrate on specific maintenance tasks such as changing lightbulbs (56% of households), doing DIY (69%), and pest control (41%), with the majority of women sharing or less involved in these areas[1].
- Women also handle most household administration tasks, such as family budgeting (50% of working mothers versus 15% of fathers), organizing rent or mortgage payments, utility bills, and purchasing family birthday presents[1].
- Mothers manage most childcare activities: 82% arrange childcare or school applications, 88% take care of health appointments, 91% organize playdates, 85% birthday parties, and 80% are the first school contact for issues[1].
- However, more equitable participation in childcare activities like attending parents' evenings, school plays, and reading bedtime stories is observed, with around 50-60% reporting equal participation[1].
Overall, the survey underscores the persistent adherence to traditional gender norms in domestic labor, where women assume a larger, unpaid burden of household work and family management roles despite evolving modern relationships.
Extended research confirms that women worldwide spend nearly twice as much time on household chores compared to men, which is connected to broader economic and social gender inequalities[2][3].
In essence, the survey suggests that in modern households, women generally oversee most household chores and family organization, while men contribute more to home maintenance and some childcare aspects, leading to an imbalance in domestic labor responsibilities.
- In modern households, women continue to bear a significant burden in handling domestic chores such as cleaning, cooking, and ironing, while men are more engaged in home maintenance tasks like DIY and pest control.
- Despite the progressive evolution of relationships, women still manage most household administration tasks, family budgeting, and childcare activities, creating an imbalance in the distribution of domestic labor.
