Female Breadwinner: More Egalitarian Couples? An International Comparison

Abstract

Advanced societies are characterized by a greater incorporation of women into the labor market, with women having increasingly higher levels of education and occupying more prominent positions. This trend has resulted in growing number of households in which women earn more than their male partners. This study analyzes the presence of these women in countries with different welfare models, examining the most relevant characteristics and the impact on the family and on household management. To fulfill these objectives, we used the latest wave of the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) Family and Changing Gender Roles IV (2012). The characteristics studied were grouped into four dimensions: country of residence, sociodemographic characteristics, egalitarian values, and the management of intimacy. Our results indicate that female primary breadwinners tend to be older and more educated than their male partners, less religious, and more likely not to have children; they have more egalitarian values and a greater tendency to manage money separately.