Dual-Income Families... Women's Childcare Time More Than Twice That of Men

Women average 12 hours per day... Men only 5 hours
"Gender inequality clear regardless of dual-income status"

Even in cases where both spouses work, childcare remains predominantly focused on women. It was found to be more than twice that of men.

Children attending class at a kindergarten [Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 17th, the Korean Women's Development Institute announced in its report titled "Research on the Reorganization of Social Care from a Gender Perspective" that the average daily childcare time for women in dual-income households exceeds twice that of men, reaching 12 hours.

The research team conducted an online survey last August targeting 5,530 individuals (3,564 women and 1,966 men) with children aged 0 to 7. The results showed that the average daily childcare time for mothers in dual-income households was 11.69 hours.

For fathers, the average was only 4.71 hours. This means that mothers' childcare time is 2.5 times that of fathers. Other care providers included childcare centers and kindergartens at 7.76 hours, and the child's grandparents at 3.87 hours.

In single-income households, the average daily childcare time for women was 15.63 hours, while men spent 4.4 hours. Compared to dual-income households, mothers’ childcare time increased by about 3 hours, whereas fathers’ time showed little difference. The research team pointed out, "Regardless of whether both parents work, childcare is mainly done by the child's mother, clearly demonstrating gender inequality."

Examining childcare methods in dual-income households in 30-minute intervals throughout the day revealed that the majority of childcare burdens before leaving for work and after returning home fall on mothers. From 6 a.m. to 8 a.m., the proportion of childcare by mothers was between 60% and 80%, while fathers accounted for only about 10% during the same period.

The analysis showed that during working hours, childcare responsibilities tend to shift to institutions such as daycare centers or the child's grandparents, but around the time of returning home, the burden shifts back to the mother.

As of 6 p.m., the distribution of childcare in dual-income households with infants (0?2 years old) was 55.2% by the mother, 20.2% by the father, 15.5% by the grandparents, and 5.9% by daycare centers or kindergartens. A similar pattern was observed for households with young children (3?7 years old) at the same time, with mothers accounting for 52.8%, fathers 17.4%, grandparents 16.3%, and daycare centers or kindergartens 7.8%.

Afterwards, the mother's share of childcare steadily increased, surpassing 70% around midnight. During this time, the father's share was only 20?30%.

In fact, 32.1% of dual-income households identified "improving the quality of care service institutions" as the most necessary policy for balancing work and childcare. This was followed by "increasing the hours of care service institutions" (19.1%), "expanding various allowances such as parental benefits" (16.8%), and "promoting work-life balance culture" (12.0%). On the other hand, only 27.4% of dual-income households said they would use the recently discussed "foreign domestic helper system" if introduced.

The research team suggested, "To alleviate the childcare burden concentrated on women, it is necessary to establish a labor market that allows balance between care and work, and to provide reliable public care services at a trustworthy level."