Forget the metrosexual - women want a retrosexual
28 August 2008
Men are expected to be the main breadwinner whilst women are being relied upon for domestic chores, according to research conducted by Yorkshire Building Society.
Gender stereotypes are alive and well with research showing the top three things most valued by men in their partner being domestic tasks, namely, taking care of the home (44%), cooking (39%) and cleaning (33%). Women, on the other hand, most value good listeners (41%), financial stability (38%) and their partner being a great parent (27%). Domestic tasks appear much further down the list with only 12% of women relying on their partner to do the cleaning.
Yorkshire Building Society questioned 1,527 people to find out what they most valued in their partners. The research shows that 38% of women value the financial stability that their partner provides. Conversely, when looked at from the other perspective, this number is halved with only 16% of men valuing financial stability in their partner.
Only 9% of men surveyed thought they would not be able to cope financially if their partner were unable to work. However, this number rose to 15%, when women were asked the same question. Worryingly, only 29% of people had discussed with their partner how they would cope financially if either of them were unable to work despite the evidence of the invaluable role their partner can play in their life.
Tanya Jackson, Corporate Affairs Manager at Yorkshire Building Society commented: "There are some things that money cannot replace such as being a great mum or dad and being a good listener. However, this research also demonstrates how much people rely on their partners for certain tasks. People need to have measures in place in case a partner would be unable to perform these everyday jobs.
"Yorkshire Building Society offers a range of protection insurance designed to ensure that should one partner be unable to carry out their daily tasks, the burden is not left to a loved one."
