Women At Work Annabel Crabb on what's changed since the Wife Drought
6 snips
Dec 12, 2025 
Annabel Crabb, an influential Australian journalist and author of The Wife Drought, discusses the ongoing challenges faced by working mothers. She reflects on the pressure to juggle work and family, highlighting how COVID-19 has increased the visibility of home responsibilities. Annabel emphasizes the importance of recognizing women’s mental load and advocates for better negotiation of household tasks to improve relationships. She also shares insights from her new children’s book, making politics accessible and fun for kids.
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The Double-Competence Pressure
- Working mothers feel pressured to perform perfectly at work and at home simultaneously.
- Annabel Crabb calls this clash a transitional phenomenon but one that remains widespread and visible.
Visibility Drives Workplace Change
- Visibility of the problem matters because once it's discussed, workplaces can change policies and cultures.
- COVID accelerated acceptance of flexible work by making home lives visible to employers.
A Mother Chewed Out In Parliament
- Roz Kelly returned to Parliament almost immediately after giving birth and was publicly criticised by male colleagues.
- Annabel uses this example to show how recent and raw these pressures remain.
