Have you heard of the so-called pink tax? It's the rather cringe-worthy term for the extra costs women face, from sanitary products to haircuts. But there's a more insidious price women pay: their time. Consider the additional hours spent getting "work-ready" with hair, makeup, and outfits. While some may reject these standards, female politicians or professionals can't afford the dishevelled nonchalance of a Boris Johnson. One lawyer, for instance, now holds client meetings at the nail bar, boosting attendance, saving time, and conducting business simultaneously—arguably more productive and cheaper than a lunch.
The Hidden Time Tax in Domestic and Professional Spheres
Beyond personal grooming, women often bear the mental load of domesticity and childrearing. Despite fathers stepping up, evidence shows women still manage the invisible labor: school WhatsApp groups, birthday party RSVPs, holiday club bookings, and more. This extends well beyond bath and bedtime routines.
At work, the time tax persists. Gone are the days of female typists and dedicated PAs; professionals have become their own secretaries. Over the last 30 years, technology has replaced people, and now it's replacing those who manage that tech. Women, often diligent and proud of a clean inbox, frequently handle their own admin. One consultant avoids using the shared office PA in India, who doesn't understand her childcare and eldercare obligations, leading her to do all administration in the evenings on top of her actual job.
The 'Team Mum' Phenomenon and Its Toll
In many organizations, there's a "Team Mum"—someone who, especially in the hybrid era, provides emotional and administrative glue, holding everything together. Typically underpaid and unrecognized, this role involves overservicing colleagues. Our feminist mothers might argue we've swapped the prison of the kitchen sink for the prison of the laptop.
Is AI a Feminist Disruptor?
If you're feeling overwhelmed, here's an optimistic thought: could AI, the great disruptor we fear, actually be a source of feminist liberation? Large language models and agentic AI excel at the kind of labor women have done for free for decades—the invisible work at home and in the office. Crucially, AI doesn't just speed up tasks; it can perform them entirely.
However, risks abound. Biases in AI are well-documented, and automation could lead to job loss rather than ease. A May 2025 UN-led report found AI-related automation is almost three times more likely to impact jobs held by women than men. Every wave of labor-saving tech has both liberated and displaced women, from automated call centers to the next layer of AI.
The Promise and Peril of Agentic AI
Let's be clear: the last decade of life by apps hasn't lightened the load. Each app promises to "organize your life," but collectively, they ensure you spend your life organizing them. Privacy concerns aside, the agentic era offers excitement. Imagine a bot that manages school WhatsApp groups, books dentist appointments, and schedules holiday camps. It could clear your inbox, script emails without apologies, and require no feigned politeness or empathy. Emotional energy is finite—wouldn't you rather channel it toward your kids than colleagues?
This isn't trivial. Administrative labor, disproportionately done by women, oils organizational wheels but rarely advances careers. It creates a veil of productivity, leading to frustration and burnout from picking up others' slack. If AI takes on this burden, it could rebalance work distribution and redefine what's valued.
Redistributing Labor and Confronting Challenges
Forget Silicon Valley's framing of AI as a mere productivity hack. This could be more radical: a redistribution of labor, a revolt against life and work admin. AI might be the first technology to acknowledge parts of our work as domestic labor that's never been counted. Yet, there's a risk AI accelerates expectations instead of alleviating them—expecting one person to manage 50 tasks instead of 10. Technology often gives us more to monitor, not less.
This tension must be confronted. AI poses a specific challenge for women that it doesn't for men. While it won't magically rid us of the mental load, it could plausibly take some work away, freeing women to focus on career-advancing tasks. It might even allow more time on the golf course or at the nail bar, cultivating networks and playing on a more even field.
Dr. Eliza Filby, a historian of generations and author of the Sunday Times bestseller "Inheritocracy," explores these themes, highlighting how AI could reshape gender dynamics in the workplace and beyond.
