Work, Home, and... Democracy?

How are we supposed to "have it all" amid all this??

I’ve been trying to write my newsletter about the economics of being a woman. I’ve been trying to write op-eds about the support that working moms need and aren’t getting, or the way that women’s contributions are devalued at the office. I’ve been trying to do my research on the issues I care deeply about—the economic lives of women in the US and in developing countries. But it all feels a little meaningless amid… gestures wildly around. What major US city will be targeted by rogue federal agents next? Is NATO still going to exist next year? WHO is the President of Venezuela???

I don’t have easy answers of how to optimize for a life you love when so many people are being harmed and when so many things are out of our control. I do want to name that I’ve seen women tend to hold more of this work, when it’s not their individual professional purview, in addition to all of the other things already on their plate. In the American Time Use Survey, women spend about 50% more time volunteering than men, the best proxy I have in my data for civic engagement. But all of us out there are carrying the additional load of existential angst right now. The invisible weight of our own powerlessness. We are trying to get promoted, to make sure our kids get good grades, to eat high fiber meals, to clear out the hallway again. And then, in the back of our minds, lurks the crisis. The feeling that if we could just check the news one more time, maybe we could… stop it? The devastation that we cannot; that others are hurting, that more systems are crumbling, and that our own voice is small.

So what can we do? Well, we can pick something that is within our control. We can feed a neighbor. We can empower a student. We can even donate some funds. And, we can use our voice in whatever area we have expertise and credibility. Is that with our family? Is that with our colleagues? Is that publicly, but in the area we’re an expert or have an audience? This means, I’ve got to stay off twitter (really bluesky these days) talking about camera angles—no one is listening to me, and I have nothing new to offer. It’s busy work—it’s the illusion of activity; the mirage of agency. And, it can take the place of more effective actions, because our brains register that we’ve done something, while meanwhile we’ve drained our scarce resources to accomplish nothing. So let’s agree together to take a single, meaningful, offline action that measurably makes someone else’s life better, in a domain in which we actually do have power. If we have more capacity, let’s take another one. We have so much on our plates. Let’s not take on the work of keeping social media profitable by generating content to alleviate our own existential angst and feelings of impotence. And maybe, through each of us taking those small, brave steps to affect the things that are within our control, together we can build a less scary tomorrow.

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Updates

• I have two upcoming virtual events! I’m excited to be joining Auggie for a live conversation about something I think we don’t talk about clearly enough: why motherhood feels so hard — even when you’re doing everything “right.”

  The event is called:

  Designing a Life That Works: Systems, Sanity & Self-Care in Motherhood
  📅 January 29, 2026
  🕐 1:00 PM ET | 10:00 AM PT
  📍 Live + virtual (free)

  We’ll be exploring motherhood through a systems lens — looking at how work, caregiving, and the invisible planning we all carry interact in ways that often lead to burnout. This isn’t about fixing yourself. It’s about understanding what’s broken — and what actually helps.

  We’ll cover:

  • Why burnout is structural, not personal

  • Where today’s systems fail parents most

  • How parents can redesign support without adding more to their plate

  • What a “life that works” can look like in different seasons

  What is Auggie?
  Auggie is a trusted platform for parents to find stage-specific support, expert-led guidance, and real connection — without the noise or overwhelm. Auggie brings together vetted experts, thoughtful events, and curated community spaces so parents can feel supported in the moments that matter most.

  ✨ RSVP here:
  https://www.auggie.com/events/o9c?utm_content=corinnelow

  

  • I’ll also be speaking at the 2026 HERizon Virtual Practicum Series, which is focused on empowering women in legal professions, on January 27 at 2 PM ET. Pass on to your lawyer friends!

    

• New podcasts to share:

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Thanks for reading Femonomics!

Corinne Low is an author, economist, and professor. She teaches at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Her first book, Having It All: What Data Tells Us About Women’s Lives and Getting the Most Out of Yours, is out now from Flatiron! Visit Corinne’s website, book a talk, or write to us.