The present research explores for the first time to our best knowledge the
extremely biased division of labor within Egyptian households. Time activities
in respect of paid and unpaid work are an important aspect of this study.
The classical dichotomy of “work in the market” versus “leisure”may serve as a
good approximation of the role the male plays in the production activity of the
household but does gross injustice to the female since it overlooks the whole
time she spends, outside the market, on domestic activities. And, studying the
females’ invisible unpaid work is crucial since it remains the female’s main occupation.
Time use profiles are constructed using the Egyptian time use data
available, only for females, in the Egyptian Labor Market and Panel Surveys
of 1998 and 2006. The first empirical exercise is devoted to the analysis of the
main determinants of Egyptian females’ time uses. Then, we analyze, relying
on a Propensity Score Matching model (PSM), to what extent does marriage
(and fertility) affect the females’ time uses over time. The latter is usually
used to act as if a panel survey is an experimental design. Moreover, new
estimates of the Real Product in Egypt taking into account the domestic production
(since it represents real value to the people who produce and consume
them) is an additional contribution of this research.