The Disproportionate Burden of Household Labor on Women

Explore the historical context and societal inertia that contribute to the imbalance of household labor on women, as well as the mental load they often bear. Reflect on personal experiences and discuss the need for deliberate intervention to create change.

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Why does the wage gap persist, despite both legislation and a cultural shift that encourages women to participate in the workforce with the fervor of a thousand exploding suns? The gap has barely budged over the last decade or two, stagnating somewhere in the low 80% range.

I had to crawl into some objectionable online spaces that are expressly “anti-women” to find out (so you don’t have to!)…and the consensus I found there was dizzying.

I'm also joined by Ellevest's CEO Sallie Krawcheck—and, I have to say, this conversation is a must-listen.

Transcripts can be found at podcast.moneywithkatie.com

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Mentioned in the Episode

Economic historian Claudia Goldin's work: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/women-at-work/id1336174427?i=1000403279400
US Bureau of Labor Statistics data on the wage gap: https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2022/median-earnings-for-women-in-2021-were-83-1-percent-of-the-median-for-men.htm
BLS "time use studies": https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/atus.pdf
Harvard study on the dynamics of the gender wage gap: https://scholar.harvard.edu/files/goldin/files/dynamics_of_the_gender_gap_for_young_professionals_in_the_financial_and_corporate_sectors.pdf
US News ranking and methodology for countries and gender equality: https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/articles/methodology
Parental leave data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development: https://www.oecd.org/els/soc/PF2_1_Parental_leave_systems.pdf
BLS employment characteristics from 2022: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/famee.pdf
Pew Research on stay-at-home parents in the 1970s: https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2014/04/08/after-decades-of-decline-a-rise-in-stay-at-home-mothers/
Cosmopolitan essay from Laura Kipnis on why maternal instincts are BS: https://www.cosmopolitan.com/sex-love/a37568/why-maternal-instincts-are-bs/