Peer-reviewed article
Gender Divisions of Domestic Labour During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Canada: Did Increases in Father Involvement Persist Through Later Stages?
Fuller S, Cai M, Doucet A, Qin S ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examines whether increased father involvement in housework and childcare during the early COVID-19 pandemic in Canada persisted over time. Using survey data from August/September 2021, researchers found that modest increases in father involvement continued among dual-earner parents with young children. However, early pandemic employment changes did not lead to lasting increases in father involvement; only when fathers continued working from home while mothers returned to workplace did changes persist.
Key points
- Fathers' share of domestic labour increased during early pandemic disruptions to employment and childcare
- Modest increases in father involvement in housework and childcare persisted 1.5 years later among dual-earner parents
- Initial employment arrangements that boosted father involvement were not associated with sustained changes
- Persistent change occurred only when fathers worked from home while mothers returned to workplace
- School and childcare closures in the first wave had no lasting impact on fathers' share of childcare
Limitations
The document does not describe the study sample size, demographic characteristics, or response rates. The analysis focuses on dual-earner parents only and does not examine single-parent households or other family structures.
Abstract
In the wake of widespread disruptions to employment, schooling and childcare early in the COVID-19 pandemic, fathers' share of domestic labour increased. Drawing on Canadian survey data from August/September 2021, we investigate whether this was a harbinger of lasting change. We find that dual-earner parents of young children continued to report modest increases in father involvement in housework and childcare. However, first-wave household employment arrangements that initially boosted father involvement were not associated with sustained increases a year and a half later. Persistent change only occurred when such arrangements prevailed in later pandemic phases, that is, when fathers continued working from home while mothers returned to their workplace. Likewise, school/care closures, most widespread in the first wave, had no lasting impact on fathers' share of childcare tasks or responsibilities. Our findings highlight the importance of longer timeframes and couple-level employment data to assess pandemic impacts on gender divisions of labour.