Regional Variances in Gender Inequality and Housework in Japan

• In Event: 054 - Section on the Sociology of the Family Roundtable Session (one-hour).
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 02. Domestic and Reproductive Labor

Abstract

This study examines the effects of regional variances in gender inequality in local labor market and in public childcare services on division of housework in Japan. In this study, I test whether and how regional variances in (1) gender inequality in the local labor market (percentage of female professional and technical workers and gender wage ratio) and (2) public childcare services affect married couples’ division of housework in Japan. This research uses wave 1 (2007) of the Japanese Life Course Panel Survey (JLPS). The results indicate that in prefectures with lower gender wage gaps, the effect of women’s higher income on a more egalitarian division of housework is stronger. Moreover, the effect of women’s higher income is stronger in prefectures with higher rates of female professional and technical workers. The effect of women’s full-time employment on egalitarian division of housework is, however, weaker in prefectures with higher female wages. Further, the availability of public childcare services does not have a significant effect on negotiations between spouses within the household.

Author

• Makiko Fuwa, Tokyo Metropolitan University