Posts Tagged ‘sexism’
C This
American women got the vote 90 years ago this month. It wasn’t easy. After 70 years of hard state-by-state campaigning, suffrage came down to a final vote in the Tennessee Legislature. The deciding ballot was cast by Harry Burn, a 24-year old who switched to “yes” after receiving a last-minute nudge from his mother. “I know that a mother’s advice is always the safest for a boy to follow,” Burn later said.
Read more about this historic struggle, plus all the news about women and work, in C This.
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Three’s a Charm
Elena Kagan joined the U.S. Supreme Court, and ForbesWoman asked: “Will three finally be the magic number that effects real change for women in terms of pay parity, access to education and sexual harassment in the U.S.?” I hope so, but let’s not stop there. Women make up roughly 51% of the U.S. population. To really reflect America’s diversity on the Supreme Court, let’s see at least one more woman—ideally, a woman of color.
READ: “And Kagan Makes Three,” by Meghan Casserly, ForbesWoman, 8/8/10
Know Before You Go
What can you do to counter gender biases that influence hiring decisions? In this article, Amy Williams lays out four rules, including learning about “illegal questions” and sex discrimination before you go in for the interview.
READ: “Four Ways to Fight Sexist Interviewers,” by Amy Williams, Ms., 8/16/10
Mentored to Death
In the latest edition of the Harvard Business Review, INSEAD’s Herminia Ibarra and Catalyst’s Nancy M. Carter and Christine Silva reveal how high-potential women are not getting enough from mentors. Many are under-sponsored and over-mentored. “I am being mentored to death,” said one exasperated respondent. Are you?
Hear Them Roar
Who are the “new feminists”? The Guardian profiles seven courageous women “who dare to articulate what others would rather not see.” “I receive death threats all the time, but I’m not afraid,” said Shahla Farid, a lawyer who challenges the Taliban.
READ: “The New Feminists: Still Fighting,” by Susie Orbach and Shahesta Shaitly, The Guardian, 8/15/10
Rocking the Vote
What was the biggest obstacle to women’s right to vote in the United States? The U.S. Congress. Gail Collins recounts the long, hard slog to suffrage in this New York Times column. While we celebrate Women’s Suffrage Day on August 26, Collins prefers to commemorate August 18—the day of a tense final showdown in the Tennessee Legislature.
READ: “My Favorite August,” by Gail Collins, The New York Times, 8/13/10
Gender at Core
Gender is at the core of workplace inequity.
But you wouldn’t know this from reading The New York Times.
Citing a University of Chicago study, the Times reported this week that women who had no children and never took time off had careers that “resembled those of men.” This is misleading—here’s why.
The Chicago study found that men earn roughly $15,000 more than women upon receipt of an M.B.A. Nine years later, men earn about $150,000 more. Women who had children or took time off suffered a greater penalty over time than women without children. This is not surprising—workplaces still penalize women for dialing down or temporarily leaving a traditional career track. But, remaining childless does not level the playing field for women.
Our report, Pipeline’s Broken Promise, found that men who left a corporate job for a nontraditional assignment and then returned experienced no penalty in either position or compensation, but women did. The report also found that post-M.B.A. women start behind men in job level and salary—and they never catch up. These findings hold true regardless of previous work experience, industry, geography, aspirations and parenthood status.
What to make of the fact that the last three women nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court were unmarried and had no children? The Times article implies that not having children allowed these women to focus on their careers. But what of the many female leaders who have children?
In Women and Men in U.S. Corporate Leadership, Catalyst surveyed nearly 1,000 senior-level women and men, most within two levels of the CEO. We found that 81% of the women were married or living with a partner, compared with 97% of the men. And there was less discrepancy around whether they had children living with them: 51% of the women did, compared with 57% of the men.
The most powerful businesswomen in America are mothers, too. There are currently 14 female Fortune 500 CEOs. At least 12 of them have kids.
Blaming inequity on factors like motherhood obscures a simple truth: entrenched biases and sexist stereotypes impact all women. Misrepresenting this reality doesn’t solve the problem. It distracts all of us—including employers who lose out on great talent—from addressing core inequity.
C This
In the early days, men dominated the Internet. Now more women than men use it for shopping and social networking. Details about the shift, plus news about the corporate leadership gap in South Africa, a new “sneaky” form of sexism, and tales of 40 women who have made strides in business, are included in this edition of C This.
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Sexism on the Sly
Sexist images permeate the media. According to author and columnist Susan Douglas, the imagery reflects “a new sneaky, subtle form of sexism that seems to accept, even embrace feminism on the surface, but is really dedicated to the undoing feminism and keeping women—especially young women—in their place.”
LISTEN: “Interview with Susan Douglas,” Progressive Radio, 7/19/10
Women in South Africa
Listed companies in South Africa have more women on their boards than Australian, U.K., Canadian and U.S. companies, but the slow pace of change in South Africa means it could take up to 40 years for women to hit parity on boards and in executive management.
READ: “South Africa: Boardroom Gender Change ‘Minuscule,’” by Sue Blain, allAfrica.com, 7/29/10
Got to Have Grit
In Women of True Grit, authors Edie Hand and Tina Savas tell the stories of 40 women who paved the way for others. “Women today don’t have a clue that they are standing on the shoulders of women before them,” Savas told The Miami Herald. “We’ve overcome a lot of things, but we have a way to go in making strides.”
Networked Women
A new survey by comScore, a U.S.-based Internet research company, found that 76 percent of all women online visited a social networking website in May 2010 compared with 70 percent of men. Similarly, more women than men engaged in ecommerce, and many visited online gambling and adult websites. “This is clearly a long-term cultural paradigm that we’re seeing,” said comScore analyst Andrew Lipsman.
Getting Out of the Ghetto
The so-called “pink ghettos”—female-dominated disciplines such as nursing and social work—come with low respect and low pay. What’s worse, men still outrank women in their leadership. “It’s time for communities of practice in these fields to set a new standard,” wrote Selena Rezvani. “To start with, organizations must adopt more transparent methods around compensation.”
READ: “Even in the Pink Ghetto, Women Fall Behind,” by Selena Rezvani, The Washington Post, 7/23/10
C This
Do you want ketchup with your kroner? In Sweden, the Feminist Initiative party held a barbeque to highlight the gender wage gap. Forget about franks and burgers. They grilled up cash! One-hundred-thousand Swedish kronor went up in flames to protest the disparity between female and male wages. What an inspiring way to focus on inequity—the stunt garnered headlines across the globe and is the lead item in C This.
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Money to Burn
Sweden’s Feminist Initiative political party made headlines when members barbequed 100,000 Swedish kronor ($13,000) to protest the gender wage gap. In 2008, Swedish women working full time earned 81 cents, on average, for every dollar earned by a man. “It may seem desperate to burn 100,000 kronor,” said Gudrun Schyman, leader of the party. “But the situation is desperate as well.”
READ: “Swedish Feminists Burn Cash in Wage Equality Protest,” BBC News, 7/6/10
Girl (Spending) Power
In 2005, women under the age of 30 in America’s largest cities overtook men in earning power. In What Women Want, Paco Underhill examines what happens to companies that fail to keep this in mind. Comp USA and Circuit City bit the dust, while Best Buy—known for actively catering to its female client base—still thrives. Lesson learned!
BOOK REVIEW: “Buying Without Guys,” by Meghan Cox Gurdon, The Wall Street Journal, 7/6/10
Making It Worse?
Broadsheet, XX Factor and Jezebel are popular mainstays in the female blogosphere. But do these blogs exploit women’s insecurities to make money? Or do they help women by exposing sexism and shining light onto women’s issues?
READ: “Outrage World,” by Emily Gould, Slate, 7/6/10
Faux Pas
Bangladeshi women are among the lowest-paid garment workers in the world, some earning only $25 a month. Now, Bangladesh’s government is considering an increase in the minimum wage. If wages increase, “that cute cheap dress may cost a fair amount more,” writes Naomi Wolf. “But it already costs too much to the women who can’t afford to feed and house themselves and their children.”
READ: “The High Cost of Cheap Fashion,” by Naomi Wolf, The Globe and Mail, 7/5/10
Baby in Baghdad
Is there a double standard for female war correspondents? Hannah Allam, a reporter for McClatchy Newspapers, is frequently criticized for working in a war zone while pregnant. “It’s dangerous, yes, I am responsible for another life, but I don’t see how it’s that much different than a man who comes here while his wife is pregnant at home,” she said. “You are still putting a parent at risk, you are still putting your child’s future at risk.”
LISTEN: “It’s A Boy: War Reporter’s Baby Shower In Baghdad,” by Lourdes Garcia-Navarro, NPR, 7/6/10
C This
In this edition, myths about working mothers are busted, the importance of engaging women on climate change is explored, and Australia’s “blokey,” or chauvinistic, culture is analyzed. Author Susan Douglas takes on “a new, subtle form of sexism,” and we look at disturbing information about the wealth gap for black and Hispanic women in America.
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Gap, What Gap?
Startling new data on the wealth gap for single black and hispanic women only garnered one national television news mention, one NPR news story, two opinion pieces and one newspaper report. What did everyone miss? The fact that “single black women have a median wealth of $100 and Hispanic women $120—dramatically lower than white men ($43,800), white women ($41,500) or black men ($7,900),” according to the report.
READ: “Wealth Gap Yawns—and So Do Media,” by Julie Hollar, Extra!, June 2010
Women in a Warming World
“Women need to be protected, engaged, and empowered for climate solutions to truly succeed,” writes Kari Manlove of the Center for American Progress. Involving women at high-level climate negotiations is one place to start.
READ: “Women’s Role in a Warming World,” by Kari Manlove, Center for American Progress, 5/26/10
Inequity Down Under
Last year, the Australia Securities Exchange (ASX) announced a proposal to expand corporate governance principles to include a mandatory gender diversity policy. In a country where a “blokey” culture rules, what effect will this have upon Australian corporate culture?
READ: “Not So Wizard in Oz,” by Cleo, The Gender Blog, 5/26/10
Myth Busting
The Washington Post tackles myths about working mothers. Did you know, for example, that working women (and men, for that matter) today spend more time with their children than ever before? Or that the more education a woman receives the less likely she is to “op-out” of her career? Consider these myths busted.
READ: “Five myths about working mothers,” by Naomi Cahn and June Carbone, The Washington Post, 5/30/10
An Insidious Bias
What is “enlightened sexism?” According to author Susan Douglas, this new, subtle form of sexism “insists that full equality for women has been achieved … so it’s OK to resurrect retrograde, sexist images of women in the media, all with a wink and a laugh.” I agree with Douglas— how else to explain the sexist imagery and language that still pervades our media?
READ: “The New Sexism,” by Laura Fitzpatrick, Time, 3/16/10
Empathize This
Change can happen in the least likely of places.
At the Waldorf during our Awards Conference in March, I overheard a well-dressed man grumble: “Now I know what it feels like to be a woman.” He didn’t say this during a break-out session—he was waiting in a long line for the men’s bathroom! Staff at the hotel had converted several Men’s rooms to Ladies rooms— hence the shortage.
But the comment got me thinking…sometimes all it takes to understand another person’s perspective is to stand in their shoes—even for a brief moment.
At the conference, Frank J. McCloskey, Vice President of Diversity at Georgia Power, explored this very theme. During a session on men supporting women’s advancement, Frank said his upbringing had conditioned him to be a “typical guy.” Raised in the South, he played football at Georgia Tech, drank beer, and never thought about inequality. “Men—we are just who we are—we are not a very evolved species,” he mused. He said he suffered from a “pathology” that held “anyone who is different is less than.”
Frank had an “a-ha” moment on inequality when he revisited a painful episode involving his wife Debbie. “Whatever progress I have made in my own way was because of pain I inflicted on someone else,” he said. Empathy was the key to understanding his wife’s perspective.
Frank recalled that when Debbie was pregnant with their first child, she asked him pointedly: “Are we going to do this together?” Frank responded: “I’ll be with you all the way.” But soon after their child was born, Frank was offered a promotion. “It was a 2 year commitment— 24/7— and I accepted it,” he said.
It wasn’t until years later that he understood what he had done to his wife. And he felt terrible. He had accepted the promotion “without thinking of the consequences it would have on her and the child,” he explained, noting that the incident had been “the first time in our relationship that we had a breach of trust.”
Life lessons were thrust into sharp relief. “I managed to understand that maybe someone else has a different life experience. And once I started hearing other women’s voices…I was hearing things that were so difficult to hear,” he said. For most of his life he tried to minimize those voices and blame the women so that he would feel comfortable. “It took me a long time…to acknowledge that maybe something is going on with others that is not going on with me.”
This realization led Frank to ask himself two questions: “What am I doing to create that experience for you? And what should I do with myself to counter it?”
At Georgia Power, Frank oversees an array of gender initiatives. He believes that “leadership means men being part of the solution.” They should “unravel the pathology, hold themselves accountable.” He now believes, he said, that “if anything takes away from women as a whole, I should fight it.”
Catalyst research suggests that before individuals will support efforts to right an inequality they must first recognize that the inequality exists. Here is Frank’s advice for men on creating awareness: “Who are those that are closest to us outside of work—wife, daughter, sister?” he asked. “Say to them, ‘Help me understand how your life is different from mine.’”
For the women reading this, I’ll add some advice of my own. Allow the men you know to see the world from your eyes. Share your experiences. It can change their perspective, or even their lives.
C This Now
C This is a new feature on Catalyzing that highlights specific articles, podcasts, and videos on the topic of women and work that caught my eye. Have you seen something this week that you don’t see listed? Let me know in the comments. Enjoy!
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Women and work—now and then
Forty years after Newsweek was sued for sex discrimination, a current Newsweek writer and one of the original litigants reflect on what has changed—and what hasn’t—for women and work.
“Not Your Mother’s Sexism,” The Brian Lehrer Show, WNYC, 3/26/10
You’ve waited 23 years for this day…
This year’s potent Catalyst Awards Dinner video captures why we must pay attention to where women and men are placed and what they are paid.
“2010 Catalyst Awards Dinner Video,” Catalyst, 3/25/10
Sleazy Politicians
Men behave badly— but do women?
“Female Politicians ‘Too Busy’ For Affairs,” National Public Radio, 3/31/10
MBAs
What do women want out of business school? The same thing as men!
“What Women Want – From an MBA,” by Andy Holloway, Financial Post, 3/29/10
Quotas
A recent University of Michigan study into the effects of boardroom gender quotas is still drawing a lot of heat.
“Study Says Female Board Members Hurt Stock Prices. Really?” by Margaret Heffernan, BNet, 3/25/10
Engaging Men
What would you do if you were denied a promotion because you got engaged?
“Fired From the ‘Mommy Track,’” by Lisa Belkin, The New York Times, 3/26/10
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