We Care (Un)Equally: How Does Unpaid Work Shape Our Future?

Ieva: Hello and welcome back to the podcast We Care (Un)Equally.

Last time, we talked about young people and their attitudes toward gender stereotypes and unpaid work. This time, we would like to discuss how unpaid work affects people’s futures.

Today, we are joined by researcher, Associate Scientist at Vilnius University, and Doctor of Educational Sciences, Giedrė Purvaneckienė.

Giedrė: Good afternoon.

Ieva: Giedrė, could you briefly tell us about your experience researching unpaid work?

Giedrė: Unpaid work has been one of my research interests for many years. A couple of years ago, we conducted a study examining how women and men experience unpaid work, how they assess their own contributions, and what their experiences and opinions are.

In addition, many of the other studies I have conducted have included questions about unpaid work. Therefore, I can draw not only on one specific study but also on observations gathered over a much longer period. This allows me to see quite clearly what the situation looks like in Lithuania.

Ieva: Then let me ask exactly that: what does the situation regarding unpaid work look like in Lithuania today? Who usually performs it, and how does it affect people’s lives?

Giedrė: If we look at the actual situation, I have been studying the division of unpaid work between women and men since around 1994. Initially, I focused on everyday household tasks and childcare—who does what and how much within the family.

And I must admit that over the past three decades, the situation has changed very little. Women still perform the majority of unpaid work.

There have, of course, been some changes. Men participate in certain tasks more often than they used to, but in most cases this means that they contribute alongside women rather than taking on an equal share of responsibility.

One of the more noticeable changes is men’s increased involvement in grocery shopping. This could be considered a relatively new trend. But speaking seriously, the primary responsibility for childcare, cooking, cleaning, laundry, ironing, and other everyday household tasks still falls largely on women.

Ieva: That was actually what I wanted to ask about—the changes.

At first glance, it sometimes seems as though the gap between women and men is narrowing. But when we look more closely, we see that part of this change is not necessarily because responsibilities are shared more equally, but because people are increasingly using various services.

For example, hiring cleaners, ordering food deliveries, or using other services that reduce the amount of household work. Have you noticed this trend?

Giedrė: Yes, that is a very accurate observation.

In fact, part of the change has been driven by technological advances and various improvements in household life. Speaking from personal experience, an automatic washing machine fundamentally changed women’s lives. If we remember the days when laundry had to be washed by hand, it required an enormous amount of time.

The same applies to many other household tasks—technology has made them significantly easier.

Attitudes toward certain activities have changed as well. Today, many men cook and are even proud of it. On social media, we see countless men sharing recipes and culinary tips. In the past, many men would have avoided admitting that they engaged in such activities.

However, despite these changes, responsibility for managing the household still most often remains in women’s hands.

Another important factor is the ability to purchase services. But that requires sufficient income. This creates a certain trade-off: if a person focuses more on career and earnings, they can buy services that reduce their workload. If they choose to do everything themselves, it often requires more time and may limit their professional opportunities.

Young people do not always understand this immediately. Often, that realization comes later in life.

Ieva: When we talk about unpaid work, we usually focus on childcare and household tasks. However, during our project we noticed that much less attention is paid to caring for elderly or ill family members.

It seems that this issue often remains on the margins, even though the need for care continues to grow. In this area as well, does most of the responsibility still fall on women?

Giedrė: Yes, absolutely.

Of course, there are men who care for their parents or other relatives. This is especially true when there are no women in the family available to take on that role. However, such men are significantly fewer in number.

If I remember the research findings correctly, there are roughly three times more women caring for elderly or ill relatives than men.

A major challenge is that caregiving responsibilities very often conflict with work responsibilities. People find it difficult to balance employment and care duties.

If we talk about childcare, the situation in Lithuania is not perfect, but it is relatively good. We have kindergartens, schools, and various forms of childcare and activities. Of course, it would be beneficial to have more after-school programs, extended-day groups, and publicly funded services, but overall the system functions reasonably well.

The situation is very different when it comes to caring for elderly and ill people.

There are significantly more problems in this area. One of them is low pensions. Many people simply cannot afford high-quality care services or residence in long-term care facilities.

Another issue involves cultural attitudes. In Lithuania, there is still a strong belief that daughters should take care of their parents. And if there are no daughters, then daughters-in-law. And if there are neither, only then do sons become responsible.

I am joking a little, of course, but there is a considerable amount of truth in that statement.

In many Western European countries, and especially in the Nordic countries, there is a tradition of independent living communities for older adults. People choose to move there voluntarily, maintain their independence, and continue living fulfilling lives.

In Lithuania, such a tradition barely exists. Moreover, both older people themselves and their relatives often feel social pressure. If an older person lives in a care institution, people frequently assume that the family has abandoned them or does not care for them.

This is therefore a complex issue. It is connected to social policy, economics, cultural attitudes, and, of course, gender equality.

Our society is ageing, the number of older people is increasing, and this issue will only become more important in the future.

Ieva: That is a very comprehensive answer, and you touched on many important aspects.

First of all, I would like to return to the point you made—partly jokingly, but not entirely—that if there are no daughters, then daughters-in-law are expected to take on caregiving responsibilities. Research indeed shows that women often reduce their working hours or even leave the labor market in order to care for their husband’s ageing parents. Meanwhile, men are much less likely to reduce their workload because of caregiving responsibilities.

I had also planned to ask about the lack of services, but you have already answered part of that question. You spoke about the shortage of accessible and high-quality long-term care services, low pensions, and the fact that Lithuania still lacks a widespread tradition of independent living communities for older adults.

It certainly seems like an area where significant changes are still needed.

Giedrė: Yes, of course, there are a few private care homes and residential facilities in Lithuania. However, private does not necessarily mean high quality.

I have not personally conducted research in this specific field, so I cannot make broad generalizations. However, from what we see in the public sphere, there are occasionally reports of various forms of misconduct, where people pay substantial amounts of money but do not receive the services they were promised.

So there is definitely still room for improvement.

At the same time, Lithuania has been working for several years to better integrate social care and healthcare services. The goal is to create a more coherent long-term care system so that support can be provided more efficiently.

The results are not yet particularly visible, but I hope the situation will gradually improve.

That said, I do not believe these changes will happen very quickly.

Ieva: Returning to the topic of unpaid work, it is important to remember that it is not a temporary phenomenon.

Household work accompanies us throughout our entire lives. Children grow up, but later there is often a need to care for ageing parents or other relatives. If a family member has a disability or a chronic illness, caregiving responsibilities may continue for decades.

That is why I would like to ask about the long-term consequences.

How does unpaid work affect a person’s financial independence and financial security later in life?

Giedrė: In essence, you have already answered that question yourself.

That is precisely why it is so important for people to think about these issues early in their careers. The more a person invests in their professional development, the more options they will have later in life.

If someone has a higher income, they can purchase services that they may no longer be physically able—or willing—to provide themselves. That creates greater freedom and more choices.

However, this requires preparation in advance.

Sometimes people choose to dedicate less attention to their careers and more time to family and caregiving responsibilities. There is nothing inherently wrong with that, but it is important to understand that such decisions have long-term consequences.

Later, it may become more difficult to return to the labor market, secure a higher income, or accumulate an adequate pension.

In that sense, it is often a choice between present needs and future security.

Ieva: It seems to me that this future perspective is often lost, especially when we talk about young people.

I have heard many young women say that they want to leave the labor market for an extended period in order to raise their children until they are older. At that stage, the future often feels very far away.

Yet the decisions we make today directly affect our quality of life ten, twenty, or thirty years from now.

How important do you think greater public education on these issues would be?

Giedrė: I believe education is extremely important here.

Most importantly, people need to understand the connection between their current choices and their future consequences.

Sometimes women decide to leave the labor market because the family has sufficient income, the husband earns well, and it seems like the best solution for everyone. It appears that there will be more time for children, the home, and family life.

However, life is unpredictable.

Financial circumstances can change, relationships can end, accidents can happen, and unexpected events can occur. When that happens, a person who has been absent from the labor market for a long time often finds themselves in a very vulnerable position.

Social security does not appear on its own. It must be built and secured through one’s own efforts.

Ieva: So we could say that we invest in our future today.

And to conclude, I would like to ask about solutions.

It is obvious that there are many problems, and they are complex. But where should we begin? What could be the first steps toward reducing the burden of unpaid work and improving people’s quality of life in old age?

Giedrė: First of all, we need to acknowledge that this is a systemic problem.

The study we conducted—which showed that the greatest difficulties arise when caring for older people and people with disabilities—was presented to the Ministry of Social Security and Labour. The Ministry is genuinely trying to find solutions, but it operates within very clear financial constraints.

At present, the state faces many challenges, so expecting rapid and radical changes would be unrealistic.

Of course, government attention and investment are essential, especially when it comes to caring for people with disabilities and older adults.

At the same time, people also need to think about their own financial security.

For example, a significant number of people still work in the shadow economy or agree to receive part of their salary unofficially. In the short term, this may seem beneficial, but in the long run such decisions reduce social guarantees and future pension benefits.

Therefore, when we talk about unpaid work, we must discuss not only the division of caregiving responsibilities but also long-term financial security, social protection, and society’s preparedness for an ageing population.

Giedrė: It is also very important to address undeclared work and employment in the shadow economy.

People sometimes choose higher earnings today without thinking about what will happen later. They assume that perhaps their children will support them in old age. At the same time, many do not even want to have children. Of course, I am joking a little here.

But in reality, this is a very complex issue.

As birth rates decline and there are fewer children, there will also be fewer people available to care for older family members in the future. And those who work in the shadow economy should not expect to enjoy a particularly comfortable retirement.

Even if they remain physically capable, limited social guarantees and a small pension can become a major problem.

Ieva: I was also about to make a similar joke—that perhaps people who work in the shadow economy and do not think about the future simply assume they will not live that long.

But we often forget that the future arrives regardless.

Giedrė: Exactly. Life expectancy continues to increase. Average life expectancy is getting longer regardless of whether someone works legally or in the shadow economy.

Ieva: Yes, nature does not take that into account. The future is likely to be a long one.

You also touched on the role of businesses and employers. It is clear that undeclared work needs to be reduced.

But when we talk about what the state can do, or what individuals can do to invest in their future, it is also worth discussing employers.

Is there anything employers can do, beyond avoiding and discouraging shadow employment? How can they help people balance caregiving responsibilities and paid work?

Giedrė: Employers can certainly help, and many already do.

Lithuania has a Tripartite Council, where the government, employers, and trade unions work together on various decisions, legislative changes, and working conditions. Measures such as additional leave days for parents, reduced working hours for those raising young children, and similar initiatives are discussed there.

Employers support these measures and take on certain responsibilities. Therefore, it would be unfair to say that all employers care only about maximizing productivity and have no concern for their employees.

That said, working conditions could be even more flexible, especially for employees who care for children, adults with disabilities, or ill family members.

Employers could also do more to employ people with disabilities and create opportunities for older workers to remain in employment, for example through part-time work arrangements.

As society ages, we need to move away from a culture that prioritizes youth and become less hesitant about retaining older workers in the labor market. This would help increase their independence in later life, and longer participation in the workforce would also contribute to higher future pensions.

Of course, it is important to maintain balance and avoid creating tension between generations. Nevertheless, employers can recognize that older employees bring valuable experience, responsibility, and expertise to organizations.

Ieva: I would also like to comment on a language-related aspect.

There have already been discussions about changing the term „parental leave” because it is not really a holiday or a vacation.

Listening to your comments about additional days off for parents, I wondered whether these measures should perhaps be framed more broadly—not only as „Mother’s Days” or „Father’s Days,” but perhaps as „Care Days.”

After all, caregiving is not limited to young children. It can also include caring for ageing relatives, adult children with illnesses, or people with disabilities.

Giedrė: Yes, I completely agree.

Perhaps these days should indeed be called caregiving days.

As for the term „parental leave,” (Note: In Lithuanian parental leave would directly translate to „Childcare vacation“). it is true that it is not entirely accurate because it is certainly not a vacation. However, there are practical challenges involved.

Changing the terminology would require amendments to numerous laws, regulations, and legal documents. That takes time, effort, and financial resources.

As a result, even sensible changes are sometimes delayed for administrative reasons.

Ieva: Yes, everything has a cost—time, effort, and money.

I do not want to keep you much longer, so I would like to finish with one final question.

You mentioned that you have been researching the division of unpaid work since 1994 and that the changes over that period have been relatively limited.

Do you believe the division of unpaid work will change in the near future? And if so, in what direction?

Giedrė: I am an optimist, so I do believe that the situation will change.

However, I do not think the change will be rapid or revolutionary. At the moment, I do not see any single factor that could dramatically transform the division of unpaid work overnight.

Some technological innovations, such as washing machines or computers, truly revolutionized daily life. But cultural traditions do not disappear nearly as quickly.

That said, societies sometimes experience faster shifts in values. For example, there has been a significant change in attitudes toward corporal punishment of children in Lithuania. New laws were introduced, there was considerable public debate, mistakes were made, and there was resistance. Yet physical punishment of children is no longer as normalized as it once was.

I would like to believe that a similar shift will eventually occur in the area of caregiving responsibilities.

At the same time, we must recognize that there will be resistance. Half of society consists of men, and some of them will not want to give up the privileges they currently enjoy. We are talking about work that is necessary but not always enjoyable. It is often easier to pass those responsibilities on to sisters, wives, mothers, or daughters.

So the change will be difficult, but it is possible.

Ieva: Absolutely. After all, who would voluntarily choose to put more work on their own plate?

And one final thought.

I often think about how men who have paid jobs sometimes compare themselves to their wives who are not in paid employment and say, “But I go to work, while you stay at home and take care of the household.”

Yet even without a family, a person would still need to work and earn a living.

Giedrė: Exactly. People often fail to assign an economic value to the work performed within the home.

We should consider how much it would cost to hire someone to do all those tasks—care for children, cook meals, clean the house, and manage the household.

Unpaid work is often dismissed as “not working at all.” People say, “You don’t work.”

But in reality, that person is doing an enormous amount of work.

Ieva: Yes, there is still a great deal of work to be done in this area—both paid and unpaid.

At the same time, it is encouraging to hear your optimism that change, even if gradual, is possible. That is something I wish for all of us.

Thank you very much for this conversation.

Giedrė: Thank you for working in this field.

Ieva: And to all our listeners, we invite you to join us again next week as we continue exploring the topic of unpaid work.

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See you next week. Goodbye!