Perceptions of equality are crucial

The gender divide of domestic responsibility has persisted, but couples’ perceptions of equality are more significant than actual division of labour, according to a study that followed 371 women and 351 men in a small Swedish town between 1981 and 2007.

Women had a higher level of responsibility for domestic work than men.

Unequal responsibility for domestic work was not associated with psychological distress when it was accompanied by a perception that the couple was gender-equal. However, the combination of unequal responsibility and perception of gender inequality was.
http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0038484