Peretöö

Peretöö is an Estonian term that denotes family work or domestic labor carried out within a household. It encompasses caregiving, child rearing, elder care, meal preparation, cleaning, laundry, shopping, and planning or organizing family life. The term emphasizes tasks that sustain everyday family life and are typically unpaid, not reflected in market wages.

Origin and usage: The word is derived from pere (family) and töö (work). In academic and policy discussions in Estonia and in some neighboring countries, peretöö is used to analyze how caregiving and domestic chores are distributed among family members, and how this distribution relates to gender equality and labor market participation.

Scope and measurement: Peretöö includes both routine domestic tasks and more time-intensive caregiving activities. It is often carried out by women, although contemporary policies and shifts toward shared parenting seek to broaden participation. Time-use surveys and feminist economics literature treat peretöö as a significant component of overall labor, with implications for GDP measurement and social policy such as parental leave, childcare services, and elder care support.

Social context: In Estonia, as in many economies with strong welfare programs, the availability of public childcare and elder care can influence how peretöö is distributed within households. Changes in work patterns, telework, and aging populations affect its scope and intensity.

See also: Domestic labor, Unpaid work, Gender equality, Time use.