Band 7+: The diagram below shows the average hours of unpaid work per week done by people in different categories. (Unpaid work refers to such activities as childcare in the home, housework and gardening.) Describe the information presented below, comparing results for men and women in the categories shown. Suggest reasons for what you see.

The diagram reveals unpaid work hours per week that is unequally distributed between men and women. It is also shown with three different categories (number of children in a household).

It is clear that women have higher work hours per week compared to men in every category. The more children are in the household, the more hours women will have to work. In contrast, men’s unpaid work hours decrease as the number of children increases.

With no children, women spend 30 hours per week while men work under 20 hours per week. With 1-2 children, women’s work hours rise significantly to approximately 50 hours. In contrast, the men’s hours decline to around 18 hours. In a household with 3 or more children, women’s housework gradually climbs to 55 hours and the work hours of men dip to 15 hours.

In conclusion, women spend more time on unpaid work compared to men. Women’s unpaid work rises significantly whereas a slight reduction is illustrated for men’s unpaid work.