The Internet was abuzz with news of Emma Watson’s speech at the United Nations—first, with chatter about her public stance on gender equality and then with threats of scandal and exposure in retaliation for her explicit embrace of “feminism.”  Watson, best known to much of the world as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter movies, […]

The current New York Magazine cover story – “The Trans-Everything CEO” – profiles Martine Rothblatt, the highest paid female CEO in America. It paints a fascinating picture worthy of its “futurist, pharma tycoon, satellite entrepreneur, philosopher” subject. There are a million interesting things about the 59-year-old Rothblatt: the three companies she founded (Geostar, Sirius Satellite […]

When Jill Abramson was fired from her position as Executive Editor of The New York Times a few months ago, the Times denied that gender had anything to do with it. They pointed to issues with her management style; apparently Abramson was “bossy” and “pushy” – labels that are rarely assigned to male executives. As […]

Just before Labor Day, whitehouse.gov released a Chart of the Week illustrating that, among college graduates four years after graduation, women earn less than men in nearly every field of study.  A salary gap among recent college graduates is disturbing for two reasons. First, it suggests that women are earning less than men right away—even […]

Working while pregnant is hard. If you don’t believe me (and why should you?), read this.  If you’re a man, read it again, because, holy crap.  And keep in mind that the pregnant lawyer/blogger describes (1) a pregnancy that is “normal” (which is to say, one that does not leave her disabled in the eyes […]

Many of my clients are highly educated, experienced professionals at the top of their industries who have prioritized and sacrificed for their careers—they’re hard workers and they’re really good at what they do.  Still, when gender discrimination in the workplace forces them out of the positions they’ve worked so hard to attain, one of the […]

As reported by The Washington Post, Christin Munsch, a sociology professor at Furman University, recently presented a study demonstrating that men who request flexible work arrangements are viewed more favorably than women who do the same: In a survey of nearly 700 people between the ages of 18 and 65, Munsch found that people rated […]

We start this post with the story of a solitary figure, someone who – like the lone protester facing the tanks of Tiananmen – decides to fight mountainous odds: in this case, centuries of gender bias against women. The year is 1875; the venue: Supreme Court of the State of Wisconsin. Our protagonist-heroine is “Miss […]

Most people would probably agree that an employee who requests “light duty” while eight-months pregnant should be entitled to that slight accommodation.  “Light duty” generally refers to work that is physically less demanding than the employee’s normal job duties; for example, “light duty” could mean not pushing or lifting over 20 pounds during a certain […]

Slowly, quietly, the Navy’s silent service is becoming a gender-equal community. During the week of June 14, 2014, the Navy submitted to Congress its plan to integrate enlisted women into the submarine force – often referred to as the “silent service.”  The plan represents the next important step in a long-overdue transition, and it will […]