Research shows that mothers of young children base their work decisions—including hours worked—on personal backgrounds, local environments, and the prevailing Dutch norm of part-time employment.
While often viewed as fully autonomous, these choices are more constrained than commonly assumed.
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Part-time work has emerged as the new social norm for Dutch mothers with young children, according to PhD research by Justine Ruitenberg at the University of Amsterdam, defended in January. Both full-time working mothers and stay-at-home mothers face misunderstanding and judgment from their social circles. Working mothers also feel intense pressure to minimize childcare use.
The stay-at-home mothers interviewed by Ruitenberg generally aspire to work but face barriers like negative labor market experiences and partners unwilling to adjust their own schedules. Without deliberate intent, they end up handling nearly all childcare. Is the economic crisis a factor? Data on household tasks reveals that even working Dutch mothers shoulder far more home and parenting duties than their partners—a disparity these mothers often attribute to personality differences or innate gender traits rather than structural issues.
Once viewed as a collective societal issue uniting women, gender inequalities are now often treated as personal matters, Ruitenberg notes—effectively reprivatizing the emancipation agenda. Yet, her findings highlight that 30% of mothers work extensive hours driven by a desire for financial independence, often inspired by strong mothers or those unhappy in traditional homemaking roles.
A fortunate minority receives career support from parents, teachers, partners, or employers, enabling them to pursue equitable role-sharing and balanced workloads. Most, however, feel compelled into predefined roles to varying degrees. This study draws from a survey of 935 mothers with at least one child aged 12 or younger at home, plus in-depth interviews with 39 mothers.
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