Is Leisure Time the Great Equalizer?

Women have made great strides in achieving equality in the workplace, but does that equality extend to who’s using the TV remote more? Everyone loves a comfy couch, a remote, and snacks of questionable nutritional value. However, the reality is that men appear to enjoy these things more than women. Men engage in up to 5½ hours of leisure a day, while women squeeze in 4¾ hours, usually while folding laundry with one hand and sautéing a chicken cutlet with the other. (U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics report,  “American Time Use Survey,” June 26, 2025)

You might wonder why there is this difference. In a nutshell, it’s unpaid work. Women do 87% of household activities daily, compared to 74% of men. Add in childcare (0.63 hours a day for women vs 0.38 for men and it’s clear to see why men have more leisure time than women. (U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics report,  “American Time Use Survey,” June 26, 2025)

In addition to the discrepancy between genders regarding the amount of time spent in leisure activities, there is also a major difference in the type of activities enjoyed. Men spend more time watching TV, gaming, and exercising, while women are more likely to be found reading or socializing. This doesn’t sound too bad until you realize that socializing probably involves other caretaking responsibilities, such as chatting with parents while you’re attending your son’s basketball game.

Even a simple jog around the block is experienced differently by men and women. Men can go for a nighttime jog and worry about nothing except maybe stepping in something left by the neighbor’s dog. Women, on the other hand, have to consider their safety. Nearly 60% of women runners have experienced harassment, and almost half avoid exercising outdoors after dark. (National Library of Medicine, October 23,  2007)

Women end up tailoring their leisure activities to fit around chores, children, and safety planning. Neither gender is genetically drawn to specific ways to relax, yet statistics show a definitive difference in the way men and women spend their leisure time. (OECD Gender Equality in a Changing World)