Another important point about domestic inequality that the Pew data lays bare: When a husband is the sole earner, the wife does almost TWICE as much work to support the household than the husband does when the wife is the sole earner. Working women are not being cared for as well as working men. That has major ramifications for women's ability to show up and advance in the workplace.
This is so good. I'm curious the demographics polled cause I am guessing these numbers shift for women of color. Since April I've been doing weekly volunteer work with a state wide non-profit Perinatal Support- we run a live answer line that new parents or pregnant people can call in to. I often just normalize how hard it is to become a parent, offer mental health education, provide extended peer support, and then work to connect them a qualified therapist and other resources. I cannot tell you how many conversations I have with women about domestic labor. I regularly send them links to the game Fair Play and Laura Danger's work and affirm the unpaid labor they are doing. I have several clients married/partnered to Latino men and unfortunately the stereotypes I've heard about them are proving to be true- one man expected his 2 week postpartum wife to have dinner on the table every night and the floors mopped. I was aghast and got really stern with her -"You just birthed his daughter and you need to rest; he should be waiting on you hand and foot right now." It's really hard to see and I hate the fact that while I am educating these new moms about gendered divisions, systemic failure etc. I feel guilty b/c I know once again the emotional labor of them speaking up and educating their partners falls on them. It's really hard.
The Way We Talk About Domestic Inequality is Broken
Another important point about domestic inequality that the Pew data lays bare: When a husband is the sole earner, the wife does almost TWICE as much work to support the household than the husband does when the wife is the sole earner. Working women are not being cared for as well as working men. That has major ramifications for women's ability to show up and advance in the workplace.
This is so good. I'm curious the demographics polled cause I am guessing these numbers shift for women of color. Since April I've been doing weekly volunteer work with a state wide non-profit Perinatal Support- we run a live answer line that new parents or pregnant people can call in to. I often just normalize how hard it is to become a parent, offer mental health education, provide extended peer support, and then work to connect them a qualified therapist and other resources. I cannot tell you how many conversations I have with women about domestic labor. I regularly send them links to the game Fair Play and Laura Danger's work and affirm the unpaid labor they are doing. I have several clients married/partnered to Latino men and unfortunately the stereotypes I've heard about them are proving to be true- one man expected his 2 week postpartum wife to have dinner on the table every night and the floors mopped. I was aghast and got really stern with her -"You just birthed his daughter and you need to rest; he should be waiting on you hand and foot right now." It's really hard to see and I hate the fact that while I am educating these new moms about gendered divisions, systemic failure etc. I feel guilty b/c I know once again the emotional labor of them speaking up and educating their partners falls on them. It's really hard.
Great post today! Thank you!