The Persistent
  • Culture[has-child]
  • Forgotten Feminists
  • Art[child]
  • Books[child]
  • Movies[child]
  • Theater[child]
  • Women You Should Know
  • You Might Like
  • Women at Work
  • About Us
Sign in Subscribe
Unpaid labor

'It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.' Wait, Is It?

Women take on almost all of the additional responsibilities during the holidays. Our cartoonist looks at the data.

Aubrey Hirsch

Aubrey Hirsch

Dec 5, 2024 — 1 min read
'It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.' Wait, Is It?
"On an average day, women already face the 'double shift' of balancing work and domestic labor"
"The holidays intensify these imbalances, for example women are more likely to do all or most of the cooking and cleaning."
"Rising social media use has added to the pressure to create picture-perfect holidays."
"Seasonal celebrations add a third job, 'magic making', to our already full plates."
During the holidays women are feel more stress from lack of money, lack of time, and pressure related to exchanging gifts.
A 2022 meta-analysis of 19 studies confirmed persistent inequalities in the division of unpaid work among men and women.
As we share in the magic together this year, let's make sure we're sharing the workload, too.
Aubrey Hirsch writes GRAPHIC RAGE on Substack. Her comics have appeared in TIME, Vox, The Washington Post and elsewhere.
The Persistent is available as a newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox.

Read more

Illustration: a bride holds a pen, having signed her (scribbled) name on a huge, oversized contract.

Why Are American Women Still Taking Their Husband's Name?

What’s in a name? For women, maybe everything. An exploration of the never-ending battle over women’s surnames.

By Kathleen Davis
The Rich Keep Getting Richer—Just in Time for Davos

The Rich Keep Getting Richer—Just in Time for Davos

Billionaire wealth hit a historic high in 2025, with male tech executives leading the way.

By Josie Cox
10 Books That Changed Us

10 Books That Changed Us

The Persistent's editors and contributors share the books that stayed with them long after the last page.

By The Persistent
Whitney White: 'These women were risking it all. They weren’t just liking things on Instagram'

Whitney White: 'These women were risking it all. They weren’t just liking things on Instagram'

Whitney White, the director of the Broadway play Liberation, says modern life has made feminism more "cowardly".

By Josie Cox
The Persistent
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Buy a Gift Subscription
  • Donate to Our Tip Jar