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Under Pressure And Over Stressed: Britain's Women Come Clean

The role of a woman has dramatically changed over the past few decades. Equality in the workplace, home and education have long been fought for in the battle of women’s rights.
Home, Lifestyle - 28 September 2011   Download IconContent available for download:  
Audio | Interview with Rachel Morris and Susan Fermor| Login to Download

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Brand new research has revealed some startling perceptions of the role of British women over the past two generations. 42% of women in the UK feel that more is expected of them, with 21% of women feeling that the 2011 woman has more demands placed on her than ever before. Interestingly, only 6% of men share this view.

41% of women grew up with their mothers taking on the role of a housewife, with over 63% of women claiming to have more academic qualifications than their mothers. As the role of women in society has changed over the years, nearly two thirds (65%) feel under pressure to perform on all levels, both at work and keeping the house clean and tidy. 63% of women say they suffer from stress compared to half of men (51%).

Over half of women take responsibility for the majority of the domestic duties in the home, compared to just one in ten men – and just 8% have a cleaner. For the other 92% of the population, nearly half spend over an hour on household chores every night, with a further 1 in 5 women (20%) saying that their domestic responsibilities take their eight hour day to a thirteen hour working day.

. Introduction:

The traditional image of the 1950s British housewife is one that would not be recognised today, but new research has revealed that the modern day woman actually feels under more pressure to keep with up with work and home commitments. The majority of women feel responsible for the lion’s share of the cleaning and chores, and this means that some are finding that they have to work for thirteen hours a day just to get everything done.

So, as women adapt to the constantly changing society around them, are we juggling too much?

Joining us to discuss this further is psychologist Rachel Morris and Domestic Survival Expert Susan Fermor from Dr. Beckmann.

. Suggested Questions:

What does the research show about the changing role of women in our area?

Why do you think women feel pressure to perform both at work and in the home?

What advice do you have for women who are feeling pressure juggling their work and domestic responsibilities?

Is there a way we can take the pressure off so women don’t feel so overwhelmed?

What laundry tips do you have for listeners?

Where can we find out more information?