A survey reveals that grassroots full-time housewives and dual-working women in Hong Kong face significant hardships. The study indicates that both full-time housewives and dual-working women spend an average of nearly 12 hours daily on household chores and work, reflecting the heavy burden women face in their domestic roles.
The survey, conducted by “Society Building Dreams Community Development Services” in collaboration with the School of Nursing at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, successfully interviewed 160 grassroots women aged between 25 and 57. The results show that dual-working women work an average of 6.4 hours daily, but still need to handle household chores after work, totaling around 11.8 hours. Full-time housewives also spend as much as 11.8 hours daily on family care and household tasks. Notably, over 70% of respondents reported needing to manage household chores daily, indicating that they work year-round without rest.
Household Pressure Exceeds Workplace Stress
In terms of mental pressure, over 70% of respondents feel stressed about managing household chores, with 35% to 45% of women expressing dissatisfaction with household responsibilities. A noteworthy phenomenon is that among dual-working women, only 54% reported that going out to work is stressful, and the dissatisfaction rate regarding work is even lower at 22.5%. This data reflects that for many dual-working women, unpaid household labor brings stronger negative feelings and mental burdens than paid employment.
Common Issues of Physical and Mental Exhaustion
The long hours of labor also severely impact their physical health. The survey found that over 90% of the interviewed women reported experiencing discomfort in at least one musculoskeletal area, with shoulder, lower back, and cervical spine issues being the most common. Among full-time housewives, 71% reported moderate to extreme distress due to physical discomfort, significantly higher than the 55% of dual-working women. Additionally, 61% of full-time housewives explicitly stated that their musculoskeletal pain is caused by household chores. The research institution points out that this reflects that both unpaid household labor and paid workplace work can lead to physical exhaustion for women.
Businesses and Society Should Provide Support for Flexible Work Models
In response to this situation, the research institution suggests that society should recognize the labor value of family caregivers and treat them as formal workers, actively including them in consultations when discussing labor protection policies.
Moreover, businesses can play a crucial role in improving the current situation. By offering more part-time job opportunities and implementing flexible working hours, companies can help alleviate the dual burden on dual-working women, allowing them to better balance work and family life. For full-time housewives wishing to return to the workforce, these flexible arrangements can provide a valuable transitional step, enabling them to seek personal career development and increase family income without fully sacrificing family care.
To effectively improve the situation of female caregivers, collective efforts from society, businesses, and policymakers are needed to provide substantial support and genuinely focus on the physical and mental health of all workers.
