Are Apps the Key to Closing the Gender Chore Gap?

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Good morning, Broadsheet readers! Election night brings historic firsts from Virginia to Arizona, male politicians’ shortcomings convince Jo Swinson to try for U.K. prime minister, and some couples are turning to tech to equalize household labor. Have a lovely Wednesday.

EVERYONE'S TALKING

- Project management comes home. Is there a couple alive who doesn't sometimes bicker over chores? If so, I've never met them.

And of course, there's more at stake in the dance over who does what than just relationship harmony: the Bureau of Labor Statistics finds that, on average, women spend 2.2 hours a day on household tasks, compared to men's 1.4 hours—and that's without even venturing into the world of childcare. We know that uneven burden has a number of knock-on effects, including creating the "second shift" dynamic and holding women back at work.

This WSJ story reports that some tech-savvy couples are turning to calendar-sharing and project management apps in attempt to balance the load. Their techniques range from the basic (creating checklists that divvy up tasks) to the more baroque (an app called Labor of Love lets users accrue and cash in points for rewards).

It's a fun read—in large part because the couples' struggles are almost too relatable. But it's also striking that the tech at play here is not exactly cutting edge—you could accomplish many of the same tasks using a sheet of paper. The real magic seems to be the simple act of making the work that goes into each of those little nagging chores tangible to the person who doesn't do them. That may seem like a tiny thing, but it's really the heart of what makes daily tasks so thankless: done well, they're often all but invisible.

So, maybe the tech-forward approach is worth a try—but regardless of how you approach equalizing your chore load, the goal is perfectly summed up by Alex Driver, who tells the WSJ that using apps has "made the labor [my wife] Priya does visible to me, and the labor I do visible to her.”

Kristen Bellstrom
@kayelbee
kristen.bellstrom@fortune.com

Today's Broadsheet was produced by Emma Hinchliffe.

ALSO IN THE HEADLINES

- Election night. In last night's elections, a few notable wins: as Democrats swept elections in Virginia, Ghazala Hashmi was the first Muslim woman elected to the Virginia Senate. Democrat Shelly Simonds, who lost a random-draw deciding vote for the Virginia House of Delegates in 2017 when she and her opponent each earned 11,607 votes exactly, this time won 58% to 40%. Danica Roem's victory in the Virginia legislature makes her the first transgender person to be re-elected to a state legislature (in 2017, she was the first to be elected). The closely watched attorney general race in Mississippi went to Republican Lynn Fitch, who is the first woman elected to the position; she ran against Democrat Jennifer Riley Collins, who would have been the first black woman elected statewide. Regina Romero was projected to win the mayor's race in Tuscon, making her the first woman and first Latina to lead the city.

- Botín on Banco Santander. Banco Santander SA is after growth, and the bank thinks fintech is a solution. The bank bought a $450 million majority stake in London-based Ebury, whose payments and trading platform is used by small- and medium-sized enterprises. “SMEs are becoming increasingly global, and Santander is the best positioned bank to play a leading role to help them access global trade finance,” said Ana Botín, Santander’s group executive chairman and No. 1 on Fortune's Most Powerful Women International list. Fortune

- Campaign pitch. In the U.K., the Lib Dems launched their reelection campaign. Party leader Jo Swinson has a message: "I never thought I’d stand here and say that I’m a candidate to be prime minister. But when I look at Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn, I am absolutely certain I could do a better job than either of them." Guardian

- Running from running. Also in U.K. politics, 18 female MPs have announced they won't run for re-election next month—saying "abuse, threats and a culture of intimidation are a significant reason they are leaving Parliament." New York Times

MOVERS AND SHAKERS: The Wing's Giovanna Lockhart joins co-working competitor The Riveter as chief strategy officer; former Alexander Wang and Goop CEO Lisa Gersh joins The Riveter's board of directors. HeyMama hires Meredith Gieskes as VP of marketing and Christina Brown as senior director of talent and events.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

- Pay and performance. More and more companies are tying executive pay and performance reviews to diversity targets. Doing so "creates accountability," executives say. Wall Street Journal

- Records show. Former Apprentice contestant Summer Zervos says that President Trump sexually assaulted her. Like E. Jean Carroll, she is now pursuing a defamation lawsuit against the president for defaming her character as he denied the claims. Documents released as part of that lawsuit show that Trump called Zervos at the time in question. Washington Post

- Hollywood after Hill. When Katie Hill won her upset victory in 2018, the entertainment industry was crucial in organizing on her behalf. Now that she's resigned from Congress, industry insiders are regrouping to campaign for Democrat Christy Smith. The Hollywood Reporter

- China endorsement. Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam was endorsed by President Xi Jinping of China on Monday. Protesters have demanded Lam's resignation, and Xi's endorsement halts some speculation that she will be removed from the job. New York Times

ON MY RADAR

Nancy Pelosi on looking to Eleanor Roosevelt for hope Literary Hub

Jamie Lee Curtis opens up about being 20 years sober, going public with her addiction Variety

The insidious ways women bear the brunt of climate change Gen

The McDonald's CEO fired over his relationship with a subordinate is keeping his post at Oxford University's Centre for Corporate Reputation Business Insider