Gender, Time Use and Inequality Within the Household

Gender, Time Use and Inequality Within the Household

Rana Hendy

ERF Conference, CairoOctober 24-25, 2015

Assuming Identical Preferences for Men and Women

Assume individual preferences for “quality of lifevariables” to be identical regardless of their gender.

Then, individuals facing the same resource constraintswould choose to be equally healthy, equally educatedand they would choose to work the same total numberof hours either at home or in the market place.

ERF Conference on Gender Equality in MENA, October 24-25, 2015

Women’s Deficit in the Market

Source: GALLUP. % of participation in the workforce among total population. Based on surveys on 136 countries and areas in 2013

-45

-40

-35

-30

-25

-20

-15

-10

-5

0

Glo

bal

MEN

A

Sout

heas

t Asia

Latin

Am

eric

a an

dC

arrib

ean

Non

-EU

Euro

pe

Form

er S

ovie

tUn

ion

EU

East

Asia

Nor

ther

n A

mer

ica

Sub-

Suha

ran

Afri

ca


Subsistence Work Remains Unaccounted

Source: Hendy (2015)


Marriage: A Major Determinant of Women’s Employment DecisionWomen married between 1992 and 2012, Egypt



Motivation

Low labor force participation that is driven by demand-side factors.

But, there is a serious bias in the division of labor within the household that (at least) partly contributes to this gap in women’s participation in the labor market.


Outline How Do MENA Women Use Their Time? Care economy

Time Use and Happiness

What MENA Women need?


Time Use Measurement

Typical Time Use Questions: On average, how many hours per week do you personally

spend on paid work (including overtime and second jobs, but excluding travelling to and from work)? and your partner?

On average, how many hours per week do you personally spend on childcare, looking after your family, household members and on household tasks? and your partner?


Gender Differences in Intra-Household Time Allocations

According to the World Bank report (2012) Women bear disproportionate responsibility for unpaid care

work. Women devote 1 to 3 hours more a day to housework than

men; 2 to 10 times the amount of time a day to care (for children, elderly, and the sick), and 1 to 4 hours less a day to market activities.

Gender inequalities in time use are large and persistent in all countries (UN Women, 2013). When paid and unpaid work are combined, women in

developing countries work more than men, with less time for education, leisure, political participation and self-care.


Women Work Longer in Total!In most parts of the world, Data shows that women worklonger than men when the “invisible work” done insidethe home is included.

MENA: Lack of data on men’s time use.



Women Do a Fixed Quantum of Home-Based Work Regardless of theiremployment Status


0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

2006 2012 2006 2012

Employed Not Employed

Ever Married

Hours of market work Hours of housework Hours of carework


Home-Based Work Increases with Education!

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Not

Em

p.

Empl

oyed

Not

Em

p.

Empl

oyed

Not

Em

p.

Empl

oyed

Not

Em

p.

Empl

oyed

Not

Em

p.

Empl

oyed

Not

Em

p.

Empl

oyed

Not

Em

p.

Empl

oyed

Not

Em

p.

Empl

oyed

Illiterate Less than Int. Intermediate Higher Ed. Illiterate Less than Int. Intermediate Higher Ed.

Never Married Ever Married

Hou

rs

Domestic Work Market Work

Source: Hendy (2015).


Time Use Changes with Marriage


Is Being a Housewife Just as Fulfilling as Working for Pay?

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

30.0

35.0

40.0

Agree strongly Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

MENA Average Non-MENA Average

Source: World Value Survey Data, 2010-2014


Housewives Are Not Happier that Working Women

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

Full T

ime

Part

Time

Hous

ewife

Unem

ploy

ed

Full T

ime

Part

Time

Hous

ewife

Unem

ploy

ed

Full T

ime

Part

Time

Hous

ewife

Unem

ploy

ed

Full T

ime

Part

Time

Hous

ewife

Unem

ploy

ed

Very Happy Rather Happy Not Very Happy Not At All Happy

MENA Non-MENA



In MENA: Among the “Very Happy” Women, Part-time workers represents the largest shares

0.0 20.0 40.0 60.0 80.0

AlgeriaBahrain

PalestineIraq

JordanKuwait

LebanonLibya

MoroccoQatarTunisiaTurkeyEgypt

Yemen

UnemployedHousewifePart timeFull time



To sum up

Home-based work represents an important component of women’s use of time and this share is a fixed quantum regardless of the woman’s working status.

Evidence that the number of hours spent on home-based work is decreasing for all women (technology and time saving devices)

Staying at home women are not necessarily happier.

Data shows that unemployment rates for women are rapidly increasing which demonstrates their desire to work in the market place.


What MENA Women Need?

More flexible arrangement for women in the market place that take into consideration the double burden issue (professional and family responsibilities) especially needed in the private sector:

Women (especially the most educated and the married ones) need: Part-time/ reduced-time jobs. Commuting arrangements. Shorter working hours (similar to the public employment). Job sharing. Subsidized child care services.


What MENA Women Need?

Not necessarily an incentive system that encourages women into the work force.

Rather a system that does not discriminate against them from entering the work force.

Economic growth and job creation for all.

Increasing educational attainment levels which in turn will delay marriage.

Accounting for the care economy in our GDPs.


Thank You


Gender, Time Use and Inequality Within the Household

Government & Nonprofit

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