Breadwinners vs. caregivers: Why outdated family roles are bad for everyone

Despite widespread public support for gender equality in work and care, family responsibilities are still divided predominantly along traditional gender norms, with mothers providing the majority of care and fathers being the main breadwinners. In the UK in particular, men’s work hours are among the longest in Europe, mothers’ rates of full-time employment are among the lowest, and fathers’ hours of care for young children are less than half those of mothers. Equal sharing is very hard to achieve when leave policies strongly penalize fathers’ longer disruption of paid work, workplace cultures strongly penalize part-time and flexible working, and the lack of affordable formal childcare necessitates reduced involvement in paid work. Given the vast public support for gender equality in work and care, and the considerable potential benefits for both men and women, a shift in policy is essential. Current policies do not align with couples’ commitment to equality, fathers’ desire to be closely involved in their children’s lives, and mothers’ strong attachment to work. Policy changes aimed at removing the barriers to equal sharing will enable parents to make more meaningful choices in line with their values and preferences