Topic: Women

Angelina Jolie, Christine Quinn, and How the Powerful Help Us Speak the Truth

AP Photo/Amel Emric

Today in The New York Times there are two powerful stories featuring powerful women who've opened up about personal health issues that have been a part of their lives. They both reflect a changing of the times, in how we talk about disease, and in how we might more openly reach for help when needed, making the most informed choices we can for ourselves.

By Jen Doll

Apr 25, 2013

Wikipedia's Boys Club of 'American Novelists'

In the upcoming New York Times Sunday Review, American novelist Amanda Filipacchi writes of a recent discovery that further evinces the issue of sexism as it persists in the literary world. This time, it's happening on Wikipedia.

Comments | 1,563 Views

By Rebecca Greenfield

Apr 24, 2013

Why Can't a Female Leader Be Celebrated Until She's Bullied?

Jill Abramson, the executive editor of The New York Times and the first woman to hold that position, is literally a poster child for Sheryl Sandberg's Lean In mantra. And, yet, that doesn't seem to matter to many of her defenders today, who also happen to dislike Sheryl Sandberg and her Lean In movement because it only represents corporate power women just like Abramson.

Comments | 2,137 Views

By Rebecca Greenfield

Apr 17, 2013

What We Can Learn from '100 Percent Men'

Is a Tumblr that collects instances of groups curiously lacking women the best way to change a deeply rooted problem or is it just making the case for tokenism?

Comments | 3,074 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Apr 5, 2013

Women Haven't Been Having It All Since at Least 1939

Modern women face a stark choice: either give up their careers early to have loving families or die alone and be eaten by their pets. But we feel we must point out that this modern condition is not modern at all.

Comments | 894 Views

By Jen Doll

Apr 5, 2013

Stop Listening to Advice About When to Get Married

Will women ever stop giving unasked-for advice to other women about when to get married? And why do we insist on engaging in this cycle? A reflection on the end of the sad "Princeton Mom" meme.

Comments | 4,105 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Apr 4, 2013

Obama Praises Female California Attorney General for Being a Hottie

President Obama revealed his secret adherence to fascist beauty standards when he praised the female California attorney general for being, like, mad hot at a DNC fundraiser Thursday afternoon in Atherton, California.

Comments | 3,926 Views

By Maria Yagoda

Apr 3, 2013

It's Different for Girls with ADHD

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder does not look the same in boys and girls. Women with the disorder tend to be less hyperactive and impulsive, more disorganized, scattered, forgetful, and introverted. The misunderstanding stem from the early studies of the disorder which, a research says, "were based on really hyperactive young white boys."

Comments | 48,943 Views

By Rebecca Greenfield

Mar 29, 2013

No, Princeton Is Not the Best Ivy League School for Finding a 'Worthy' Husband

Princeton alumna and parent Susan A. Patton has some advice for the ladies on the letters-to-the-editor page of today's Daily Princetonian, and it's terrible advice, since there are much better elitist institutions in which to go rich husband hunting — and right in the Ivy League!

Comments | 19,048 Views

By Jen Doll

Mar 26, 2013

Would the New York Times Christine Quinn Profile Have Been Different If She Were a Man?

In The New York Times' telling, the City Council speaker and mayoral hopeful who happens to be openly gay, is  "temperamental and surprisingly volatile." The piece have some saying, "This story would never have been written if Christine Quinn was a man."

Comments | 2,092 Views

By Rebecca Greenfield

Mar 22, 2013

The Guy Who Wrote the Hottest Women in Tech Slideshow Is 'Bummed'

Don't worry, the writer behind today's offensive-to-women-in-technology-Internet-thing, "The 40 Hottest Women in Tech" slideshow over at Complex, thinks the slideshow is crap, too.

Comments | 3,121 Views

By Rebecca Greenfield

Mar 22, 2013

How the Tech World Bends Free Speech into an Excuse for Sexism

The cloud-based email startup SendGrid confirmed in a blog post Friday that it fired developer relations "evangelist" Adria Richards because of a tweet she sent about what she thought was sexist behavior at the PyCon developers conference, setting an unfortunate precedent for a tech industry with diversity problems but no shortage of "dongle" jokes.

Comments | 5,026 Views

By Jen Doll

Mar 21, 2013

This Is (and Is Not) the 'Retro Wife'

A social trend story is, at best, a way to inspire conversation about a broader topic of interest to a lot of people, usually a topic somehow connected to The Way We Live Now. But what happens to the subject of such a story in the aftermath of that conversation? We spoke to her to find out.

Comments | 3,115 Views

By Rebecca Greenfield

Mar 21, 2013

Hackers Got a Woman Fired by a Startup After She Called Out Sexual Harassment

Today in the tech world's warped view of gender "norms": The cloud-based e-mail service SendGrid just fired developer Adria Richards, apparently for reporting sexual harassment after hackers made it clear they didn't approve of her complaining. 

Comments | 23,607 Views

By Rebecca Greenfield

Mar 19, 2013

What Silicon Valley Doesn't Want You to Know About Diversity Is Bad for Them

When CNN went to confirm Silicon Valley's diversity problem with actual Silicon Valley companies, most of them refused to share employee data. And sharing diversity numbers — or a lack thereof — is exactly how you fix a diversity problem in the tech world.

Comments | 696 Views

By Jen Doll

Mar 18, 2013

There's Nothing Retro About the Retro Housewife If She Gets to Choose

One thing we keep talking about when we talk about current-day-now feminism is who women are supposed to be. But isn't telling women to fit in one bucket and not some other one (and then judging them if they deviate from those expectations) rather anti-feminist in itself?

Comments | 4,656 Views

By Rebecca Greenfield

Mar 15, 2013

Samsung Will Pay for Sexism

The company that just used bridesmaids in heels to demonstrate why a female might want to buy a piece of technology? Yeah, it has a history of female stereotypes in advertising. And it just so happened to coincide with the launch of an "iPhone-killer" Galaxy phone line.

Comments | 2,069 Views

By Rebecca Greenfield

Mar 14, 2013

Samsung Puts Women in Their Place During Galaxy S IV Launch

The Galaxy S IV launch event verged on offensive when the emcee used a group of bridesmaids to illustrate all the woman things the phone can do, like cooking and weight loss and wedding planning — oh my.

Comments | 15,691 Views

By Rebecca Greenfield

Mar 11, 2013

The Unbelievable Conversations with and About Sheryl Sandberg

With Sheryl Sandberg's already much talked about "feminist manifesto" Lean In out today, the conversation about the topic has reached new lows, with a lot of women (and men) reverting to pre-Betty Friedan era form.

Comments | 2,242 Views

By Rebecca Greenfield

Mar 11, 2013

How Women Can Stop Webcam Hacker Creeps from Watching You

There is one foolproof way to avoid an increasingly terrifying group of perverted cyberspies who are hijacking (mostly) women's computer cameras: Buy a new computer that has a light that goes on whenever your webcam is in use, whether you know it or not.

Comments | 9,066 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Mar 8, 2013

Chart of the Day

For International Women's Day, How the World Caught Up on Women's Suffrage

This interactive map demonstrates how women's voting rights and roles in the political process of countries around the world have changed over time. Which is to say, slowly, but still: progress.

Comments | 2,006 Views

By Rebecca Greenfield

Mar 7, 2013

Sheryl Sandberg Saw Her Backlash Coming

After reading Sheryl Sandberg's "feminist manifesto" Lean In, you get the eerie impression that she knew what her critics would say.

Comments | 4,138 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Feb 28, 2013

The Worst Argument Against Women in Combat Yet: They're Sad Rape Victims

We've heard a lot of falsehoods on the topic this year, from women being too weak to men not wanting to poop in front of them. But The National Review's Heather Mac Donald has a new one: Women can't serve in combat because when they get raped by fellow soldiers, they get too depressed.

Comments | 2,758 Views

By Rebecca Greenfield

Feb 26, 2013

Chill Out, Marissa Mayer's Work-at-Home Memo Is Not About You

Least compelling of all the arguments against Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer's new tyrannical order — outlawing permanent work-from-home arrangements for her employees — come from people who feel like their particular work-life patters are about to be upset . 

Comments | 1,551 Views

By Rebecca Greenfield

Feb 7, 2013

Etsy Is Trying to Pop Silicon Valley's Meritocracy Bubble

While we were talking about the barriers outside of Silicon Valley facing certain kinds of people when trying to make it in, Etsy was busy fixing the problem.

Comments | 1,143 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Jan 30, 2013

How the NRA Uses Women as Human Shields

Gun advocates spent their Wednesday fighting on Capitol Hill for the right of female civilians to carry semi-automatic assault weapons while their compatriots on the right are mourning the decision to allow female soldiers to carry guns on the battlefield.

Comments | 5,518 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Jan 28, 2013

Can Rich Women Ever Have Enough?

For much of the past year, the hottest debate in the world of women's stuff has been, Can women have it all?, as memorably answered in the negative by The Atlantic's July cover story last year. More than six months later, The New Republic's Noreen Malone, as part of that mag's relaunch, has suggested that "Beyoncé says yes" they can.

Comments | 1,129 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Jan 28, 2013

The Truth About Little Women Carrying Big Wounded Men in Combat

One of the recurring arguments against women serving in combat appears on its face to be just good common horse sense: women just don't have the upper body strength to carry a heavy male soldier out of combat. The thing is, you don't need much upper body strength to carry a guy out of combat.

Comments | 103,456 Views

By Rebecca Greenfield

Jan 28, 2013

Objectify a Male Tech Writer Day Has Been Canceled

The first annual Objectify a Male Tech Writer Day has been canceled because of a number of "valid risks" with using a hashtag to prove a point about the way readers often objectify female tech writers.

Comments | 2,257 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Jan 25, 2013

This Is What Women Pysched to Go into Combat Look Like

The Pentagon has ended its ban on women serving in combat, and while the changes might not take effect for years, some women are already gloating on Facebook about the chance to wear an award that basically says "I was in the sh*t."

Comments | 11,133 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Jan 24, 2013

All These Objections to Women in Combat Are Dumb

Serious people won't pay attention to you if your only objection to women serving in combat if you just say, "No sir, I don't like it!" So people with dated ideas about what women can do are forced to invent objections that look at least superficially rooted in fact, instead of sexism. Closer examination reveals they are dumb.

Comments | 24,140 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Jan 23, 2013

The Ban on Women in Combat Will Officially End

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta will reportedly lift the Pentagon's ban on women serving in combat — even though women actually have been serving in war zones for years.

Comments | 4,745 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Jan 8, 2013

Obama's Cabinet: A Lot of White Guys This Time

There are several key differences between President Obama's cabinet picks in 2009 and in 2013. This term there are more longtime Obama allies. This term he's showing more "confidence in his choices," picking fights with Republicans. And this term he's picking a lot of white males.

Comments | 3,340 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 14, 2012

Only 28 Percent of Romney's Donors Were Women

Mitt Romney lost women voters by 12 percentage points, but he lost women donors by way more.

Comments | 1,079 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Dec 12, 2012

Chart of the Day

The 'Notable Deaths' This Year Didn't Include a Lot of Women, Apparently

Mother Jones noticed a discrepancy in the "notable deaths" lists assembled by major newspapers: the majority of the "notable" people listed were men.

Comments | 799 Views

By Rebecca Greenfield

Dec 11, 2012

What Did Marissa Mayer Mean in a Year When 86% of Executives Were Still Men?

Women held a mere 14.3 percent of executive positions at Fortune 500 companies, according to new data. That 1.4 percent increase from last year represents a "glacial pace," even in the year of the new Yahoo CEO.

Comments | 1,231 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 10, 2012

Women Aroused by Jewelry: A GIF Guide to the Most Sexist Holiday-Gift Ads Ever

The most wonderful time of the year is also the time of the year in which we are bombarded with the most sexist commercials on television. Let's take a stroll through the Ghosts of Christmas Jewelry Ads Past.

Comments | 7,197 Views

By Jen Doll

Dec 7, 2012

Would You Change Your Name for a Book?

In 2012, enough female writers are still changing their names to appear as men to merit a piece in The Wall Street Journal today. Which is to say, there is still a long way to go.

Comments | 1,552 Views

By Connor Simpson

Dec 6, 2012

This Girl Is Not Afraid of You and Will Beat You Up

So, amazingly, this afternoon the UFC crowned its first women's champion and signed its first openly gay fighter. 

Comments | 6,897 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Dec 5, 2012

Stat of the Day

One Third of U.S. Doctors and Lawyers Are Now Women

It's not equal yet, but it's a start. Except for the whole salary thing.

Comments | 1,698 Views

By Dashiell Bennett

Nov 28, 2012

House Republicans Pick Only White Men To Be Committee Chairmen

Yesterday, the House of Representatives picked the leaders of 19 committees for the upcoming 113th Congress yesterday and every one of them is a white male

Comments | 2,722 Views

By Jen Doll

Nov 27, 2012

The New Powerlessness of the Evening Newswoman (or at Least Her Outfit)

The Washington Post today allowed our female anchor class to become some harbinger of a gender-equal clothing trend (except not quite), and that does the whole topic a disservice.

Comments | 1,893 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Nov 9, 2012

Trimming the Times

Subways, Little Bear, and 'Annie'

A summary of the best reads found behind the paywall of The New York Times.

Comments | 517 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Nov 7, 2012

Stat of the Day

One in Five U.S. Senators Will Be Women Next Term

Obama may have won the female vote in last night's election, but there will also now be a record number of women serving in the Senate next January when one in five members of the upper chamber will be female.

Comments | 4,046 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Oct 25, 2012

The New York Times's Dating Advice: Lower Your Standards

The New York Times decided to do its best Carrie Bradshaw impersonation for one trend story today and is alerting ladies and gentlemen, but mostly ladies (we think), to one important fact: dating has changed and it's good news for dudes. 

Comments | 6,922 Views

By Jen Doll

Oct 25, 2012

The Undecided Female Swing Voter Is Still Undecided

Just days ago, Nate Silver wrote in the New York Times that "if only women voted, President Obama would be on track for a landslide re-election, equaling or exceeding his margin of victory over Senator John McCain in 2008." Today, a new Associated Press-GfK poll, cited by CBS News, indicates that that gender gap is "all but gone."

Comments | 6,553 Views

By Adam Clark Estes

Oct 24, 2012

CNN Retracts Story About Hormonal Women Voters

In a matter of hours, CNN published and removed a story about how hormones influence women voters, one that made claims about how women tend to lean liberal when ovulating because they "feel sexier." 

Comments | 8,794 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Oct 24, 2012

The Gender Pay Gap Starts One Year Out of College

Men and women may be equal when it comes to the tuition they're paying, and the degree they're getting but that's where it stops. According to a study by the American Association of University Women, one after graduation will find women, on average, making around $7,600 less than their male counterparts. 

Comments | 4,535 Views

By Jen Doll

Oct 22, 2012

Lessons in Friendship from Julie Klam

There's a new book out this week from bestselling memoirist Julie Klam, and this one diverges a bit from her two recent books, You Had Me at Bark and Love at First Woof. For one, it's about human friendships, not interspecies ones.

Comments | 1,035 Views

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