Gender Equality in the Family and Childbearing over the Life Course

Lars Dommermuth, Statistics Norway
Bryndl Hohmann-Marriott, University of Otago

When does gender equality matter for childbearing? This analysis compares couples across the life course to investigate the timing of childbearing in the context of equity and equality in partners’ division of housework and childcare. We combine data from the Norwegian GGS 2007 with information from administrative registers on subsequent childbirths. Preliminary results indicate that the division of labor has distinct influences on fertility at different points in the life course. Gender equality appears to be more important than equity for those with no children. Among those with one child, not the daily division of household labor or childcare, but father previous take of parental leave and the satisfaction with the division of childcare tasks have a significant influence of the timing of a second birth. Finally, both entry into childbearing and into a three-child family appear to be selective of those with a child orientation.