When it comes to cash, guess what’s the worst age for being a woman...

New research shows the true cost of being female, writes Hannah Fearn, and – spoiler alert – we aren’t exactly in the pink

Anyone hoping that things will improve financially once their children fly the nest should listen carefully (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Being a woman who writes about society on social media is a turbulent ride. Mention anything about the gender pay gap and someone will be along sharpish to tell you that any divergence in average incomes occurs because women choose a different life path – they have children, and then they step back from work.

It doesn’t matter how many times you present the bald facts (not least that the pay gap exists for women who are childfree too, and that men also parent those children while working), the myth prevails. And woe betide you if you mention the “mental load”.

But, then, reading this today you know exactly what I mean by the “mental load”. A decade ago that wouldn’t have been the case. We have the pandemic to thank for that.