Resumen de Economic crisis and unemployment: consequences for gender equality within the familiy
Raquel Ribeiro, Lina Coelho, Alexandra Ferreira Valente
In this paper we present preliminary results of an ongoing study onhow the economic crisis is affecting Portuguese couples’ marital power dynamics. The study, conducted by questionnaire, involves couples aged between 30 and 50 years old with children. We analyse the differential impact of female and male unemployment on gender practices within couples. For this purpose, we selected couples in which one of the partners is unemployed. Of the total sample, 127 couples were found in this situation: 58 with male unemploymentand 69 with female unemployment. Results show that women still spend more hours in domestic housework and child care than their male partners even when they are the main breadwinners. Man’s unemployment seems to increase woman’s participation in household finances management and man’s participation in domestic work.Contrariwise, female unemployment constrains women to domestic and care activities. Results are discussed considering the consequences of the crisis, in terms of unemployment and sex segregation of jobs, for gender equality within Portuguese families.
