10 March 2021

Majority of women say well-being negatively affected by home-schooling

10 March 2021

More than half of women have said their well-being was negatively affected by home-schooling during the current lockdown, figures show.

Some 67% of women and 52% of men in Britain home-schooled a child from January 13 to February 7, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

More than half (53%) of women and 45% of men said home-schooling this year had negatively impacted their well-being.

The data shows more parents have suffered due to home-schooling during this lockdown compared to the start of the pandemic.

In April and early May 2020, 34% of women and 20% of men said their well-being was negatively affected by home-schooling.

The ONS has published analysis bringing together previous data releases to show how the first year of the pandemic has affected men and women differently.

While more men have died with Covid-19, women’s well-being was affected more negatively, the ONS said.

Women were more likely to be furloughed, spend significantly less time working from home, and spend more time on unpaid household work and childcare.

During September and early October 2020, women spent 64% more time on unpaid household work than men.

In March 2020, women spent 55% more time than men on unpaid childcare, rising to 99% in September and October 2020.

The ONS said there have been “significantly different levels of anxiety, loneliness and worry about the coronavirus, and depressive symptoms” between men and women.

Women have reported significantly higher anxiety levels consistently throughout the pandemic, a trend observed before the crisis.

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