Men & Caregiving

Results from the International Men and Gender Survey (IMAGES) in Bolivia

Most Bolivians report growing up without a model of male participation in the domestic sphere.

Fewer than one in three men and one in four women remember their fathers or other male figures contributing to domestic chores in their childhood home.

According to

Men Women

70% OF MEN

said their fathers (or other male caregivers in their childhood home) seldom or never contributed to preparing food, cleaning the house or toilet, or washing clothes.

77% OF WOMEN

said their fathers (or other male caregivers in their childhood home) seldom or never contributed to preparing food, cleaning the house or toilet, or washing clothes.

Models of involved and caring fatherhood were also notably absent from many Bolivian childhoods.

Almost half of Bolivian men report that their fathers seldom or never took care of them or their siblings when they were children.

47% OF MEN

report that their fathers seldom or never took care of them or their siblings when they were children.

Inequitable role modeling during childhood strongly influences men’s beliefs and actions as adults.

2x more men

who had uninvolved male role models at home (vs. those who did grow up with a positive role model) think that “a man should not have to do domestic chores.”

47% OF MEN

report being on the parenting sidelines, seldom or never participating in the daily care of their own children.

But the data also show the opossite: how caring fathers can effectively transmit the value of care work to their children.

Of the men who said their fathers were equitably involved (along with their mothers) in domestic tasks growing up,

86%

are also equally or primarily involved today vs.

13%

of men who had no such example of male involvement in the home growing up.

And, while most men do not appear to engage with the more burdensome tasks of childrearing, they do participate in ways they find most accessible.

Men want to be involved. Does this mean they would like to be more involved in *any and all* care work, regardless of how fun or rewarding? That is still unclear and should be the subject of further inquiry.

3 OUT OF 4 MEN

men do various leisure activities with their children, such as play and help with their schoolwork.

And more involvement might be on the horizon…

88% OF MEN

say that “they would rather spend more time with their children than work.”

Now... what do women think about men’s contributions to unpaid care and domestic and work today?

While over half of men say that they are involved fathers, women report that their partners do less. This suggests that some men may have responded to these questions in socially desirable ways.

In fact, men seem to systematically underestimate women’s role in household and caregiving responsibilities, while overestimating their own share of the labor.

Men are more likely to state that household tasks are “shared,” while women are more likely to say that they usually do the tasks “on their own.” This is true across all household and caregiving categories that we asked about.

45% OF MEN

say they bathe and change their children’s diapers as often or even more often than women.

However…

only 23% of women agree.

The remaining 77% of women say that they are “usually or always” the ones who carry out these tasks.

This disconnect between men’s and women’s perspectives has implications for the quality and satisfaction of couple’s relationships.

Men report more satisfaction

than women

with the division of labor within the household (96% of men are “satisfied or very satisfied” vs. 77% of women). They are also more likely to express satisfaction in their relationship more generally (74% of men are “satisfied or very satisfied” vs. 65% of women).

Meanwhile,

2x more women than men

report quarreling with their partners “often”, and significantly fewer women seek the support of their partners when they feel sad, anxious, or frustrated (46% of men vs. 31% of women).

KEY TAKEAWAYS

“Care work” seems to be understood differently by men and women

Men mostly define care as play and leisure with children; women understand it as all the care that goes into raising children and the household. In other words, care work is, for now, a siloed definition, not a shared vision.

But men’s positive involvement is key and important

The generational cycles of care show the positive influence that men’s role in the household can have for future generations. It’s important to understand how to amplify this opportunity.

Masculinities & Violence

IMAGES Bolivia results