Desperate Housewives: The Undervaluation of Care Work as a Barrier to Substantive Equality

Abstract

The achievement of gender equality is multifaceted. While the position of women within Irish society has improved, this article intends to highlight a significant lacuna in society’s approach to gender equality; the undervaluation of care work. It will explore the gendered nature of care work and ask why it is women, rather than men who typically undertake this activity. It will then examine how care work is undervalued and argue that this forms a serious barrier to the achievement of substantive equality.