Amount Quote by Gloria Steinem
“In the U.S. for instance, the value of a homemaker's productive work has been imputed mostly when she was maimed or killed and insurance companies and/or the courts had to calculate the amount to pay her family in damages. Even at that, the rates were mostly pink collar and the big number was attributed to the husband's pain and suffering.”
About This Quote
Source Article: The New York Times, "The Value of Unpaid Labor", 1995
Society often only quantifies a homemaker’s work when tragedy forces a financial assessment, revealing gender bias in economic valuation.
In simple terms: Women’s unpaid work is only valued when loss occurs.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and compensate domestic labor regularly.
Themes
gender equality
economic justice
labor rights
Mood
reflective
critical
hopeful
Type
analytical
advocational
When to use this quote
- policy making
- family budgeting
- advocacy
- legal settlements
Key Concepts
feminist economics
social valuation
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we assign fair market value to unpaid domestic work?
- What policies could prevent reliance on tragedy for valuation?
A Different Perspective
Even with compensation, systemic undervaluation persists.
