How Much Are Women Supposed to Carry?

In this episode, I reflect on the idea of “capacity": what it means, who defines it, and why so much of it is still expected of women.Through the story of my great-grandmother Susanna, who raised twelve children while building a life out of poverty, I explore the hidden labour women have always carried. I also consider how those expectations persist today, shaped by modern work, family life, and the emotional weight we often hold without acknowledgement.This is a personal reflection on endurance, inheritance, grief, and heartbreak and a question of whether women’s strength has too often been used to justify the unequal systems we still live within. Get full access to Ada Gardener - women's writes at adagardener.substack.com/subscribe