The Intergenerational Transmission of Gender Roles in Ecuador

Abstract

The distribution of time dedicated to unpaid work between men and women is unequal. With the increase in female participation in the labor market, this unequal dynamic is expected to disappear. However, it is still maintained by the socialization of traditional gender norms from parents to children. Thus, it is important to analyze whether the distribution of intrahousehold unpaid work among adolescents is equitable. This would be an indicator that more egalitarian gender norms are being reproduced. Thus, this study examines whether Ecuadorian adolescents allocate their time to unpaid work equitably. The study estimates a Poisson-Gamma model with data from the Living Conditions Survey. The results suggest that girls spend more time on domestic work than boys. Furthermore, the presence of girls significantly reduces the time men and women spend in unpaid work. These findings suggest that Ecuadorian girls and boys maintain and reproduce traditional gender roles.