Catalyzing

Catalyzing is the Catalyst blog, bringing together and amplifying diverse voices that share Catalyst’s mission to expand opportunities for women and business. Catalyzing reflects the wide range of opinions, ideas, and experiences of Catalyst employees, incorporating perspectives from our offices in North America, Europe, Asia, and beyond. It also features non-Catalyst industry leaders, experts, and academics committed to changing workplaces and lives. 

  • Catalyzing
    Take 5: LGBT@Work

    On Monday, the U.S. Senate confirmed J. Paul Oetken for a federal judgeship in New York City, making him the first openly gay man to serve on the federal bench. While his confirmation is a milestone and a step in the right direction, it’s important to think bigger than firsts.

    The LGBT...

    July 20, 2011 by Ilene H. Lang

  • Catalyzing
    The Root

    Let’s talk about sexism.

    Now I know the word “sexism” carries baggage. But no matter what you call it—gender bias, systemic inequity, inequality, or discrimination—the belief that a woman is not as capable as a man simply because she is a woman is at the root of many challenges we face....

    July 13, 2011 by Ilene H. Lang

  • Catalyzing
    Independence Day?

    Can you be truly independent if you don’t have equal rights under the law?

    In the United States, Independence Day—held annually on July 4—commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. The document’s second sentence is one of the most famous and consequential in American...

    July 5, 2011 by Ilene H. Lang

  • Catalyzing
    C This

    New research shows that 29 companies in the Standard & Poor’s 500 have no women on their board of directors or among their top five highest-paid officers. The lack of women atop S&P 500 companies aligns with Catalyst research on the Fortune 500, where women hold only 15.7% of board seats and 7...

    June 29, 2011 by Ilene H. Lang

  • Catalyzing
    Transgender in the Workplace

    Some people consider transgender issues provocative or uncomfortable—at Catalyst we consider them squarely in the domain of women and work.

    In recognition of LGBT Pride Month, on June 14, Catalyst hosted a webinar to examine the challenges transgender people face in the workplace. As a group...

    June 22, 2011 by Ilene H. Lang

  • Catalyzing
    Take 5: Diverse Women Take a Hit

    Diverse women are double outsiders. Women of African, Asian, Hispanic, Middle Eastern and Native American descent make up about 36% of the U.S. female population, but as today’s Take 5 highlights, many are excluded from high-paying leadership positions in corporate America:

    1) In 2008, African...

    June 16, 2011 by Ilene H. Lang

  • Catalyzing
    Rock the Boat

    In April, Catalyst’s Brande Stellings and I went to the 2011 Women’s Power Summit on Law & Leadership at University of Texas School of Law. Following the success of the 2009 Summit and creation of the Austin Manifesto, this year’s conference focused on the theme of power. As Brande makes...

    June 2, 2011 by Brande Stellings, JD

  • Catalyzing
    The Daughter Effect?

    Women earn, on average, 77 cents for every dollar earned by a man in the United States, with global percentages varying, but rarely better. Can having a daughter help close the gender pay gap, as some newspapers allege? In today’s guest post, Catalyst’s Jeanine Prime, Senior Director, Research,...

    May 27, 2011 by Jeanine Prime, PhD

  • Catalyzing
    Take 5: The MBA Pay Gap

    Attention Class of 2011: Women start behind, and stay behind, equally skilled men after graduating from prestigious MBA programs.

    In today’s Take 5—a new Catalyzing feature highlighting five important Catalyst findings—we look at our research into our best and brightest: MBA grads from top...

    May 23, 2011 by Ilene H. Lang

  • Catalyzing
    Check the Chart

    Commencement addresses are often peppered with inspiring quotes, stories of perseverance, and warm anecdotes intended to uplift and inspire the next generation. But in a recent piece for the Washington Post geared for college grads, I opted to get straight to point about the challenges ahead. The...

    May 17, 2011 by Ilene H. Lang