In response to the incompatible demands of work and motherhood, many mothers seek out part-time work schedules. Although many
mothers consider this option “the best of both worlds,” scholars are divided about whether part-time work is in women’s best
interest because it is linked to the gender division of labor in the home, and hence, to gender inequality. In this paper,
we investigate the mostly unintended consequences of part-time work on the gender division of labor within the household.
Drawing on 54 in-depth interviews with mothers who voluntarily work part-time, we explore how mothers experience household
work and child care arrangements when they work part-time. Three factors emerged as most important in understanding how part-time
work can shape mothers’ experiences of the gender division of labor: pathway to part-time work, work location, and work schedule.
Depending on these factors, part-time work may be experienced as either enhancing or undermining of the gender division of
labor, and thus, as promoting or undermining gender equality in their families.
Keywords Part-time work - Division of household labor - Motherhood - Gender equality