Domestic duties 'hold women back'

Domestic chores are restricting the ability of women to progress into senior management roles, it has emerged.

According to the results of a study by Cambridge University, women are spending more time on household tasks and consequently tending to increasingly work in part-time roles.

This drift, according to the research, leads to lower-paid work and bars the way to roles in senior management.

"The working lifestyles of most people in Europe still seem to be determined by gender," said Brendan Burchell, the leader of the study.

"Gender segregation in employment is pronounced, and this widens the gender pay gap," he added.

Dubbed, Gender and Working Conditions in the European Union, the report's findings were based upon the responses of a total of 30,000 individuals spread across the 27 countries of the European Union.

The report is available in a number of different languages, including German and French.