"The Yellow Wallpaper" and "Women and Economics"

One thing I think is missing in "Women and Economics" is what women can do to become economically independent. Although, she talks about how women are economically independent when they earn their own money and are able to be self-sufficient, she also points out that being paid for maternal duties and housekeeping relegates women to the status of house servants. Although she argues that women's work should have an economic value placed on it, it creates the problem of reinforcing inequalities in labor between genders as you would not normally see men in the position of nanny or housekeeper. Can we think of any sort of solutions to address the problem of placing an economic value on house labor so that women in these positions aren't diminished to the status of servants or hired help when this kind of work is paid?

In response to Lian, I would consider that looking at house work as an inequality and looking for a solution through this framework is problematic in itself. Looking at house labour as something that should have economic value may not be the best alternative to finding equality, which is a slight disagreement from Gilman's hypothetical proposal of paid house labour (done by the wife). The problem of inequality regarding house labour brings us to the root of the problem and that is society's history of patriarchal household ideals. In my opinion this gendered problem requires an upheaval in order for household labour to become fair for both co-owners. With a balanced relationship both partners should be able to create equal responsibilities, whether its one person do all of the household services or a shared duty. As it stands most women in society are pressured to perform more household duties than men, and these responsibilities need to be shifted to a more egalitarian model.