Time use surveys, which originated at the end of the 19th century among working-class families in England and France, were initially conducted to examine family budgets and evaluate people’s behaviour based on their use of time. By the 20th century, time-use surveys had evolved to recognise work done outside the labour market and to measure the economic value of unpaid work within households.
As most unpaid work in families is borne by women, time-use surveys have become critical for measuring gender equality and the contribution of women’s unpaid work to national well-being and the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Globally, women carry out three-quarters of the world’s unpaid work. The gendered division of work within households hampers women’s access to education and employment.