Gender Divisions of Domestic Labour During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Canada: Did Increases in Father Involvement Persist Through Later Stages?

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.