THE RISE OF FEMALE BREADWINNERS

This headline from The Times stopped me cold: ‘Women, think carefully before you take a promotion—will it make your husband sad?’ 

When I read this, my blood pressure spiked. Over a decade ago, I made a documentary about female breadwinners, and we joked that in 10 years, the film would seem quaint—that this would be a non-issue by then. Yet here we are, still framing these challenges in such regressive ways. Instead of challenging outdated gender norms, this article reinforces them.

The research itself tells an important story: societal expectations around gender roles and "who should do what" have a huge negative impact on the mental well-being of men and women who buck those norms. It’s an issue that needs discussion. But this article? It tells us to maintain the status quo rather than question it.

That’s exactly why I made The Big Flip. In the documentary, I had the privilege of speaking with incredible experts like Jenny Garrett OBE, Suzanne Doyle-Morris, PhD and ICF MCC, and Kassandra Bibas.

🎥 Here’s an excerpt featuring their thoughtful perspectives and advice on this topic. Big thanks to Jenny, Suzanne, and Kassandra—The folks at The Times should have asked one of you to write about the study!

💬 Let’s push this conversation forward. How do we challenge these tired norms and build truly equal partnerships? I’d love to hear your thoughts.