What can same-sex couples teach us about the economic consequences of separation for women?

We know that women experience larger economic consequences of separation than men. Same-sex couples help shed light on why this is the case.

In a new article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, co-authored with Matthijs Kalmijn, we show that women in same-sex couples experience smaller declines in household income after separation than women in different-sex couples. This is partly explained by more equal divisions of paid and unpaid work during the relationship.

At the same time, giving birth emerges as a key mechanism. Birth mothers face substantially larger economic penalties after separation than nonbirth mothers, irrespective if they are married to a man or a woman. What matters most is how caregiving and children are distributed across households. This points to the importance of policies that support a more equal sharing of care, both during relationships and after separation.

Want to know more, the article is published open acces here.