Can Economic Incentives Promote a More Equal Gender Division of House chores?

Gender identity norms such as the male bread-winner model are possible drivers of persistent gender inequalities in the labour market. However, the extent to which they restrict the behaviour of couples is debated. While the simple observation of men’s and women’s specialisation in market and domestic work may be revealing of gender identity norms, the observed time allocation of spouses may also be a consequence of gender wage gaps in the labour market. Suppose, for example, to observe a couple in which the wife mostly works at home and the husband mainly works in the market. Even if the couple had a preference for equal gender roles, it would appear as traditional because, in the presence of wage gaps, household resources are maximised when the wife stays at home.