When She Works More Than Her Partner: Gender Norms and Women's Life Satisfaction in Australia

Abstract

This study uses multiple waves of the HILDA survey to examine how partnered women’s relative working hours affect life satisfaction, accounting for unpaid domestic labour. Women who work more hours than their male partners report significantly lower life satisfaction, primarily due to non-conformity to prevailing gender role expectations in paid work. The decline is greatest among women who also shoulder a disproportionate share of unpaid labour, with well-being losses stemming almost equally from norm non-conformity and time pressures. These findings highlight the enduring impact of gender norms and underscore the need for policies that address both labour market inequality and unequal domestic responsibilities.