What does "a lack thereof" (last line) mean?

Context
It is a legacy of the country’s exacting domestic expectations and rigid gender roles for who performs them. While Japanese women have entered the work force at historic levels, their avalanche of domestic responsibilities is not shrinking — and men are typically not helping.

In fact, men in Japan do fewer hours of household chores and child care than in any of the world’s wealthiest nations.

According to an analysis of government data by Noriko O. Tsuya, an economics professor at Keio University in Tokyo, women who work more than 49 hours a week typically do close to 25 hours of housework a week. Their husbands do an average of less than five.

“Compared with what happened in women’s employment,” said Ms. Tsuya, “there has been so little change, or a lack thereof, in gender relations at home.”

Question

What does "a lack thereof" (last line) mean?

Context>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
It is a legacy of the country’s exacting domestic expectations and rigid gender roles for who performs them. While Japanese women have entered the work force at historic levels, their avalanche of domestic responsibilities is not shrinking — and men are typically not helping.

In fact, men in Japan do fewer hours of household chores and child care than in any of the world’s wealthiest nations.

According to an analysis of government data by Noriko O. Tsuya, an economics professor at Keio University in Tokyo, women who work more than 49 hours a week typically do close to 25 hours of housework a week. Their husbands do an average of less than five.

“Compared with what happened in women’s employment,” said Ms. Tsuya, “there has been so little change, or a lack thereof, in gender relations at home.”

prog112 · Accepted Answer

"Lack thereof" is a phrase meaning that something that was previously mentioned is either missing or is insufficient.

Here it emphasizes that there has been _very_ little change to the point where one could say there was no change at all.

yangeunjiya · Answer

In this context, a lack thereof would be like "forget what I said about there being a little, there's none!" Usually this is said to change what they said before it and say that there's nothing.

Example: "Their love, or lack thereof, was sad."

"Lack thereof" is a phrase meaning that something that was previously mentioned is either missing or is insufficient.Here it emphasizes that there has been _very_ little change to the point where one could say there was no change at all.

"Lack thereof" is a phrase meaning that something that was previously mentioned is either missing or is insufficient.Here it emphasizes that there has been _very_ little change to the point where one could say there was no change at all.

In this context, a lack thereof would be like "forget what I said about there being a little, there's none!" Usually this is said to change what they said before it and say that there's nothing.Example: "Their love, or lack thereof, was sad."

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"Lack thereof" is a phrase meaning that something that was previously mentioned is either missing or is insufficient.

Here it emphasizes that there has been _very_ little change to the point where one could say there was no change at all.

"Lack thereof" is a phrase meaning that something that was previously mentioned is either missing or is insufficient.

Here it emphasizes that there has been _very_ little change to the point where one could say there was no change at all.

In this context, a lack thereof would be like "forget what I said about there being a little, there's none!" Usually this is said to change what they said before it and say that there's nothing.

Example: "Their love, or lack thereof, was sad."