Annotation 4_Gender Norms and Gender Inequality in Unpaid Domestic Work

Boo, Harn Shian (2021) Gender Norms and Gender Inequality in Unpaid Domestic Work among Malay Couples in Malaysia. Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 29(4),  2353-2369

The article investigates how gender inequality among Malay couples in Malaysia is influenced by cultural and religious gender norms. The study used a qualitative methodology to investigate the roles of men and women and who should handle the unpaid domestic work among nine Malay couples in Malaysia. The questions in the semi-structured interviews focused on the roles and responsibilities of men and women as well as the motivations behind doing housework and caring for children. The respondents were selected using purposive sampling and they were Malay married couples living with children under 12. 

After analysing the data, Boo argues how men and women behave according to cultural and religions defined gender roles and are expected to behave as such, women shoulder a disproportionate amount of housework and childcare due to the cultural and religious gender norms that foster the prescribed roles, emphasising men’s role as the primary breadwinners and women’s role as the homemakers. 

Men typically perform less unpaid domestic work than women due to the roles that are expected of them according to religious and cultural norms, this argument is valid for most part and is supported by evidence in the paper. According to the paper, gender inequality refers to the social process by which people experience unfair treatment or perceptions based on their gender and the study supports its conclusion that women are negatively impacted by the unequal division of unpaid domestic work by showing that gender inequality in household labour division persists even when paid work time and resources are taken into account. Most of the interview responses raise the possibility that gender norms are to blame for the unequal division in unpaid domestic work. In order to provide a comprehensive picture of the factors that contribute to the unequal division of household labour among Malaysian couples, the paper makes the suggestion that researchers also include the other ethnic groups in Malaysia to  provide  a  detailed  view  of  factors that lead to the unequal division of household labour among Malaysian couples.

The study also shows how important it is for policymakers to comprehend how gender norms influence the unequal distribution of household labour in order to advance gender equality in household labour, economic outcomes, and women’s well-being. This study could be expanded by looking into couples’ experiences of cultural and religious gender  norms  uncovered  during the  qualitative  interviews. 

They should also further this research by examining how couples experience the cultural and religious gender norms that emerged during the qualitative interviews. Boo , should have also recommended further investigation of the preference of what women want to help reduce the burden of women in the household activities.