A Literature Review on the Gender Division of Unpaid Domestic Care Work

This analytical study examines the persistent gendered division of unpaid domestic care work through a comprehensive review of contemporary literature (2012–2026). Despite the significant influx of women into the global labor market, the "stalled revolution" in the private sphere continues to place a disproportionate burden of housework and caregiving on women. By synthesizing primary theoretical frameworks—Time Availability, Relative Resource, and Doing Gender—this paper analyzes how socio-cultural expectations override economic rationality within the household. Key findings indicate that the "mental load" remains an invisible barrier to gender equality, further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of hybrid work models. The paper advocates for the 5R Framework (Recognize, Reduce, Redistribute, Reward, and Represent) as a necessary structural intervention to achieve substantive gender parity.