Unpaid? Did they not share household income/expenses, and in case of divorce, were entitled to part (half, I believe) of their ex-husband's wealth? In addition to child-support.
By the way, nice rhetorical trick of reducing half of all of one's wealth, plus child support and/or alimony to "a cheque".
[1] https://www.inc.com/amy-nelson/women-drive-majority-of-consu...