Dear John,

I’ve talked about being a single woman on the campaign trail before, but now I’d like to put it into a context that demonstrates how the current system of the United States does not favor singlehood, nor does it favor women.

White women make 79% of a white man’s annual salary. Black women make 64%.

Yet finance experts share that women pay up to $1,300 more a year than men for cost of living. The injustice doesn’t stop there.

In a household, the daily tasks and chores are supposed to be divided up between partners. One person cooks, the other cleans. One person grocery shops, the other cleans the home. The cost of living and the labor of living is shared between two people.

That’s not true for us, single ladies. Not only do I need to go to work every day to make my bread and make 79% less than what a white man makes in my same role, I also have to come home and do all the cooking and cleaning myself. Sick days? Forget it. If I don’t take my dog out for exercise, no one else is around to walk him.

This system that favors a dual household is what pushes Americans into marriage, especially at a young age. Americans lead the world in marriage rates, but also lead the world in divorce and separation rates. This system of favoring a two-person household pushes people together out of necessity rather than love and 23% of marriages fall apart in five years.

With all of these factors working together against single women, a woman maintaining her independence and financial freedom takes a lot of strength, grit, and determination. I’ve seen people try to shame women or even myself for being single, for a woman choosing to “date herself”. What a display of ignorance.

So to all the single women out there, keep your head up. Make sure your crown doesn’t slip. I’m rooting for you, I’m fighting for you, and I’m proudly one of you.