Gave Up Your Career For Your Spouse? You Deserve to Be Paid

A romantic relationship is often the biggest financial risk a woman takes

There was an uncomfortable moment at this year’s Academy Awards ceremony when Donald Sylvester gave his acceptance speech after winning an Oscar for sound editing the film Ford v Ferrari. “The real support comes from home. So I want to thank my wonderful wife of 34 years, who gave up her editing career for me to pursue my career. But she raised our kids, and she did a great job, because neither one of them are politicians.”

There was some applause as he began to thank his wife, Penny Shaw Sylvester, and then it stopped. “Gave up her editing career” was perhaps the wrong way to phrase what many might consider it — a woman sacrificing her needs, goals and desires for her man — but she made it very clear that that was exactly what they agreed to.

“To say that I don’t work is absolutely ludicrous, but what I did do is leave the entertainment industry … I love what I do, I love working with the schools, and I love helping children and helping our community, which I think is so much more productive than just cutting a film. I live in the real world. And I help real people.”

That’s all well and good. We all have choices although sometimes the choice to…