Annabel Crabb: The Wife Drought

Nov 28, 2014, 01:00 PM

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You know the saying: behind every successful man stands a woman. She’s doing his laundry, cooking his meals, and generally making sure he can concentrate on his public life – while she takes care of his private one.

She’s called a wife, and it’s a common joke among women juggling work and family that they would really like one of their own.

Even in this age of vastly improved gender equality, it still seems to be the woman who stays at home, or works flexible hours to do the ‘struggle juggle’. And it’s far harder for men to access workplace flexibility, or to make home life a priority without being judged.

In The Wife Drought, author and political correspondent Annabel Crabb calls for a ceasefire in the gender wars – and a genuine conversation about the personal, policy and workplace changes necessary for real equality. She’ll be in conversation with George Megalogenis.

#wifedrought