Excerpts
Overview
We have been studying the impact of the corona crisis on the differences in work, care and well-being between mothers and fathers in the Netherlands since April 2020. Here we present the most recent results from our COVID Gender (In) equality Survey Netherlands (COGIS-NL). These results concern the situation as it was in the Netherlands in June 2020. In June, Dutch citizens were expected to work from home as much as possible, but primary and secondary schools were (partially) reopened, and some social activities became possible again (see Timeline, p.10). How did parents fare during this period?
Where possible, we compare the situation in June with the situation before the COVID-19 pandemic. We also look at possible differences between June and the first national lockdown in April. Since June, we are now also able to compare how the experiences of parents with children under the age of 18 at home differ from the experiences of parents with older children and people without children. When we refer to “parents” (and “mothers” and “fathers”) below, we are referring to people with children under the age of 18 at home. We refer to the other group when people do not have children under the age of 18 at home.
About our study
The COVID Gender (In) equality Survey Netherlands (COGIS-NL) study began in April 2020 (wave 1) and examines differences in work, care and well-being between men and women in households with at least one child under 18 living at home and at least one working parent. Since June 2020, we also examine differences between men and women in families without children under the age of 18 living at home.
In July (wave 2, reporting on the situation in June), a total of 1229 respondents in 1013 households participated. All surveys are administered by CentERdata, located at Tilburg University, the Netherlands, using their LISS panel (Longitudinal Internet Studies for the Social Sciences, https://www.lissdata.nl). The LISS panel is a representative, online survey panel based on a true probability sample drawn by the Dutch National Statistics Office (CBS) from Dutch population registers. Our study was made possible by a grant from ODISSEI and the Faculty of Social Sciences at Utrecht University.