Gender roles refer to the societal expectations of how individuals should behave according to their gender; men are often to be primary breadwinners, whereas women are mostly used to manage the household work. In dual-earner families, the gender roles are affecting the lives of spouses and creating the imbalance, so the women often end up doing the domestic responsibilities despite working full time. This unequal and imbalanced distribution of the workforce creates stress and career hindrances for women most of the time, on the other hand, where men used to face less pressure and have less contribution in household work.
In Pakistan, gender roles play important roles in the lives of couples because they shape the structure and dynamics of dual-earner families. In the traditional context, the men still in Pakistan are the financial providers, while the women have only the responsibility of managing the household work and caregiving duties, which include giving birth to children and their responsibility of grooming.
The division of labour is deep-rooted in the cultural and societal norms of Pakistan, which is creating tension in the families where both partners are employed to work outside due to economic pressure and instability. The frequency of earning among such gendered expectations, especially in a collectivist society like Pakistan, has reached this point, which creates consequences on the balance of work and satisfaction in family life and is creating challenges in both job sectors like professional places and the personal sphere of the dual-earner couples in Pakistan.
Furthermore, the most pressing issue that arises from the gender role in the traditional way is the unequal division of the household. However, both partners are working full time. Evidence shows that the women who are from the urban areas, like Islamabad and Rawalpindi, contribute a major part in domestic responsibilities because in the rural areas women are only working in households and are considered to have less IQ. Another piece of evidence shows that the women are burdened by tasks like cooking, cleaning, and child rearing, and even both spouses demanding jobs, so this is considered like the second shift phenomenon that women are stressed out, and the gender norms are remaining slow because of this. Women are continuing to deal with the dual pressure of career demands and domestic expectations, whereas men are relaxing but trying to take on more household duties.
Moreover, the impact of these gender roles extends beyond the home and workplace. Women in Pakistan who are involved in dual-earner families are facing the family work conflict due to managing both professional and household work, creating a high level of job dissatisfaction as well as marital dissatisfaction. The imbalance of the gender roles is not only putting strain on the lives of couples but also on marriage and creating long-term implications.
Children’s development evidence shows that those children who are under equal parental involvement are more likely to thrive emotionally and academically due to conventional and traditional aspects. Women in Pakistani culture are under pressure of male dominance but also want to earn money for their home. The societal attitudes are shifting in Pakistan toward the unconventional and nontraditional, which is creating flexibility and a relaxed mode for women, but due to instability, both partners are contributing to the household economy and becoming common due to cultural change.
To conclude, Pakistani dual-earner households are still shaped by traditional gender roles, which disproportionately burden women with managing both work and home duties. While males generally experience less pressure and make fewer contributions to home life, women frequently shoulder the majority of household responsibilities despite working full-time, which can result in stress, burnout, and professional stagnation. This disparity, which has its roots in Pakistani culture and society, leads to conflict and discontent at work and at home. The rate of change is still modest, despite indications that views in society are moving toward more flexible roles. It is essential to question these conventional gender norms and advance a more equitable division of household duties if dual-earner households are to prosper, eventually promoting improved marital contentment, work-life balance, and general family well-being.
