This calculator shows what it would cost in various states and situations for someone to return to their maiden name instead of getting all the paperwork needed to vote under the proposed SAVE Act.
I've been thinking about this a lot lately, especially since challenging a patriarchal society is such a big topic, especially online.
Traits that we define as feminine are traits that make women smaller, and encourage us to take up less space. Petite, pretty, quiet and accommodating. Meanwhile, traits typically defined as masculine are often dominant, loud, physical strength and size.
But these traits are naturally present in individuals. Anyone can be small, demure, smooth and hairless, emotional and quiet. Anyone can be large, powerful, hairy, loud, dominant. The major difference is that 'masculine' traits are broadly criticized in women, and 'feminine' are broadly criticized in men.
So why do we seem to continue to use these terms as though they have any meaning beyond categories that limit our fellow human beings? I see them used in feminist communities and the more I think about it, the less I understand why we keep using them as though these distinctions have any value or purpose.
There’s one detail in the data on families that doesn’t look like much at first, but ends up explaining a lot once you follow it through.
On average, women do about 63% of all housework, and more than half say they’re satisfied with that arrangement. So unequal distribution, by itself, isn’t always seen as a problem by women.
Part of this comes down to economic differences within the couple. When the man has higher status or income, the split shifts even more toward the woman. It starts to look like a stable pattern, where resources on one side are offset by domestic work on the other. But even when incomes are more balanced, this doesn’t really disappear. Roles inside the home adjust much more slowly than economic positions, and women still end up carrying more of the load.
That’s where the main point starts to emerge.
Even if this setup feels normal, the workload itself doesn’t go anywhere. It directly affects how much time and energy are left for everything else, work, rest, and anything outside the household. It doesn’t always register as a clear conflict, but it shows up in decisions.
In the data from the study, this comes through quite clearly: both the actual share of housework and how women feel about it are linked to a lower likelihood of planning a child in the near term . So the decision here is less about whether the situation feels fair, and more about how much load is already concentrated on one side, and how much more it can realistically absorb.
![[Academic] Pink tax survey (Everyone)](https://external-preview.redd.it/FDSgiWU6moUwpjrZGvkYQSZdemWw-3PhzpcufP1LmzU.png?width=1080&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=e0fc52d6b66bfbd82e32723b41799222d49a0604)
Hi! I’m conducting a short survey as part of a research project on pricing differences in everyday products (sometimes referred to as the “pink tax”).
The survey asks about your experiences, awareness, and opinions when shopping for items like personal care products and clothing.
\* Open to: Everyone aged 18+
\* Time: 2–3 minutes
\* Anonymous: No personal data is collected
Survey link: https://forms.gle/RboKPYNEiNe9Mz9XA
Thank you for your time! I’m happy to share the results if there’s interest.