Intro
In this episode of the “Financial Feminist” podcast, host [Host Name] is joined by Eve Rodsky, author of “Fair Play,” to discuss building equitable relationships. They explore the gender division of labor, the importance of long-term planning, and the impact of domestic responsibilities on women’s financial power. Through the Fair Play system, couples can rebalance their domestic workload and create a more equal partnership.
Main Takeaways
Unpaid Labor and Women’s Economic Impact
- Women perform hundreds of millions of hours of unpaid labor, becoming the social safety net of the country.
- The economy is firmly on the backs of women, as seen with Barbie, Taylor Swift, and Beyonce saving the economy.
- Second shift labor is defined as labor performed in the home outside of work, mostly falling on women.
Fair Play System for Equitable Relationships
- Fair Play is a gamified life management system that helps partners rebalance their domestic workload and re-imagine their relationship.
- Find Your Unicorn Space is a book that explores the cross-section between the science of creativity, productivity, and resilience, aiming to inspire a new narrative around the equality of time and the individual right to personal time choice.
- Fair Play is a book that addresses the gender division of labor in relationships.
The Guest Speaker’s Experience and Inspiration
- The episode is relevant to anyone who wants to share their life with someone.
- The guest speaker shares her experience of feeling like a “married single woman”.
- The conversation includes a discussion on wallpaper and reclaiming the narrative around it.
- The guest speaker created a “wallpaper author walk of fame” in her office.
- The guest speaker had big dreams of becoming a professional dancer, senator, and president of the United States, but her life took a turn for the worse after her second child was born and her husband left her.
- She experienced feelings of isolation and abandonment, and her career stalled.
- The guest speaker realized the importance of long-term planning and not just relying on the phrase “figuring it out”.
- Women in midlife often feel overwhelmed and erased, which inspired the guest speaker to write her book, Fair Play, and subsequent book, Find Your Unicorn Space.
- The financial feminist and Fair Play share a similar message of the importance of long-term planning and organization.
The Fair Play Movement and Changing Societal Attitudes
- Overwhelm and the ratio is a toxic combination, it’s better to feel overwhelmed towards something that feels like you’re changing the world (Eve Rodsky).
- Women hold $1.9 trillion of unpaid labor a year, it’s a UN sustainability goal to eradicate this (Eve Rodsky).
- Women often become the default parent, which affects their financial life, and it’s harder to get back into the workplace (Eve Rodsky).
- Society tells women to wait until their kids are in school to begin their second phase of life, but this leads to erasure (Eve Rodsky).
- Fair Play movement can change things, we need to remember that an hour holding our child’s hand is as valuable as an hour in the boardroom (Eve Rodsky).
- Parenting is as much work as any other job, and it requires boundaries, systems, and communication to make it successful (Eve Rodsky).
- Partnerships can be worth it if men are invited into their full power in the home and women have their full power in the world (Eve Rodsky).
- The Fair Play movement aims to make things better for single mothers and those who don’t have the privilege of having a partner, by fighting for federal paid leave, universal childcare, and support systems (Eve Rodsky).
- The secret formula for successful parenting is boundaries, systems, and communication, which have been tested and proven through the Fair Play movement (Eve Rodsky).
- Women have been making lists for hundreds of years, but successful partnerships require more than just a to-do list, they require a shift in mindset and culture (Eve Rodsky).
Summary
The Impact of Unpaid Labor and the Fair Play System
Women perform a significant amount of unpaid labor, becoming the social safety net of the country. This burden falls on them due to traditional gender roles and the expectation of being the default parent. The Fair Play system is a gamified life management system that helps partners rebalance their domestic workload and reimagine their relationship. It addresses the gender division of labor and aims to create a more equitable distribution of household and childcare responsibilities.
The Guest Speaker’s Experience and Inspiration
The guest speaker shares her personal experience of feeling like a “married single woman” and the challenges she faced after her husband left her. This led her to realize the importance of long-term planning and inspired her to write her books, Fair Play and Find Your Unicorn Space. She emphasizes the need for women in midlife to reclaim their power and not be overwhelmed by societal expectations.
The Fair Play Movement and Changing Societal Attitudes
The Fair Play movement aims to challenge societal norms and fight for gender equality in both the home and the workplace. It recognizes the value of unpaid labor and advocates for policies such as federal paid leave and universal childcare. The movement emphasizes the importance of partnerships where both partners have their full power and responsibilities are shared equally.
Building Equitable Relationships through Communication and Systems
The Fair Play system encourages open communication and the establishment of boundaries and systems within relationships. It recognizes the importance of treating the home as an organization and emphasizes the need for accountability and trust. By implementing the Fair Play system, couples can create a more balanced and fulfilling partnership.
Conclusion
The episode highlights the importance of addressing the gender division of labor in relationships and the impact it has on women’s financial power. Through the Fair Play system and the Fair Play movement, couples can work towards building more equitable relationships by rebalancing domestic responsibilities and advocating for societal change. By implementing communication, boundaries, and systems, couples can create a stronger partnership and empower each other both at home and in the world.
