Women spend almost twice as much time on housework and childcare than men do

Researchers from Australia have found that women spend almost twice as much time on housework and childcare than men, even when they increase their time in paid employment.

According to the Australian Institute of Family Studies, women with children under five spend about 41 hours a week on childcare, 32 hours a week on housework and 14 hours in paid work, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Once their children are in school and they increase their paid work, they still devote 29 hours a week to chores while spending 25 hours a week in paid employment.

Fathers with children under five spend 15 hours a week on housework, rising to 17 hours once children are aged 5-14 and their partners increase their paid workload.

Mothers of under-fives do a total of 88 hours' work each week, including housework, paid work, childcare and voluntary work, compared with men who contribute 79 hours.

But once children are aged 5-14, hours of work equalise as both fathers and mothers contribute 75 hours a week, with paid work making up the bulk of men's time.

Australian Institute of Family Studies senior researcher Jennifer Baxter said while women had made great strides in the workplace, the domestic front was different.

"There is a perception that things are changing faster than they really are, but for most Australian families, mothers are still in one role and fathers are still in another role," she said.

The research, Families Working Together - Getting The Balance Right, found that working mothers and fathers felt under the pump - 47 per cent of fathers said they always felt pressed for time compared with 62 per cent of mothers.