Motherhood Discounted: The Economics of Care

A Woman’s Place · Aug 20, 2026 · 29m

In this episode, we sit down with lawyer, activist, and author Carolyn McConnell to discuss her book, Motherhood Discounted, and the ways society undervalues motherhood, caregiving, and dependency. Drawing from her own experience becoming a mother, Carolyn explores how care work became largely invisible and why work associated with women continues to be unpaid or underpaid.

We unpack the myth of complete independence, the growing expectations placed on mothers, the long-term economic consequences of caregiving, and the challenges facing families when everyone is working but there is little…