[Reproductive or domestic work]

The objective of this article is to describe the evolution of reproductive work and to analyse those factors related to its distribution. The analysis has been based on data from various Time-use Surveys (Women Institute 1993, 1996, 2001) as well as on data from different regional surveys: Andalusia, the Basque Country, Madrid and the metropolitan area of Barcelona. In the period 1993-2001, the amount of time devoted by men to housekeeping in Spain increased by 35% while women's time declined by 5%. Yet, in 2001 women's dedication to housekeeping was twice that of men's (7.2 vs 3.1 h daily). However, the imbalance in sharing of housework declined among younger people. Union formation and growing family size increase women's housework intensifying the uneven distribution of household chores. When women are employed and have higher educational and income levels, dedication to household tasks decreases and gender inequalities are reduced. In spite of growing male participation in housework, reproductive work is still mainly women's responsibility. The recent legal, social and cultural changes have not been able to eradicate the traditional model of assigning reproductive work in the home.