Blog posts

New Lawsuit for Parental Leave: Forcing Change

September 2, 2019 | 0 Comments

In a recent article, I wrote about class-action settlements won by fathers against a handful of large companies that have brought about change. While only a minority of companies offer paid parental leave, a new federal lawsuit filed against Jones Day, one of the nation’s largest law firms, promises more change. … Read more

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Women and Cross-Generational Friendship

August 26, 2019 | 0 Comments

While in my forties, I met a woman, Becky, in her eighties who, like me, had chosen not to have children. I was worried that I would feel lonely in my old age and regret my decision. When I met Becky, I asked her if, now that she was in … Read more

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Tips for Creating Equitable Workplaces from the New Rules Summit

August 19, 2019 | 0 Comments

On June 12 and 13, 2019, the New York Times sponsored the New Rules Summit on women and leadership. Here are some of the tips for how to create an equitable workplace generated during the summit by participants and reported by the New York Times: Encourage men to be allies—Companies … Read more

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The Issue of Busing in the Democratic Debates

August 12, 2019 | 2 Comments

I don’t know about you, but I have been confused about Kamala Harris’s accusation on the debate stage during the first Democratic debate in June that Joe Biden did not support busing during the 1970s and 1980s. I heard Harris accused in the media after the debate of distorting the … Read more

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Women Still Score Higher in Leadership—New Research from HBR

August 5, 2019 | 0 Comments

Groundbreaking research by Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman of the Zenger/Folkman leadership consultancy reported in 2012 found that women were perceived to be stronger leaders than men in twelve out of sixteen leadership competencies. Zenger and Folkman’s original research was conducted using 360-degree feedback reviews for 7,280 leaders in public, … Read more

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Paid Parental Leave for Both Parents: New Research on the Benefits

July 29, 2019 | 0 Comments

In a recent conversation, my dear niece, who is about to give birth to her second child, expressed some concern about how she is going to cope once the new baby is born. She has just started a new job as a contract worker and, consequently, is not eligible for … Read more

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More Young Single Mothers in the Workforce

July 26, 2019 | 0 Comments

In a surprising change, the number of young single mothers in the workforce has been steadily climbing since 2015. Claire Cain Miller and Ernie Tedeschi, writing for the New York Times, report that the increase is being led by single mothers without college degrees, according to an analysis by the … Read more

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Bold New Proposal to Close the Gender Pay Gap

July 15, 2019 | 0 Comments

As the 2020 presidential contest heats up, exciting proposals to address our nation’s problems are being offered by individual candidates. Astead W. Herndon of the New York Times reports that Senator Kamala Harris of California recently announced a proposal to close the gender pay gap. Harris’s proposal requires larger companies … Read more

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Black Women Lead the Way to Change: Four Strategies That Work

July 8, 2019 | 0 Comments

Black feminists in Chicago have been breaking ground as leaders and we can all learn from their strategies and successes. Salamishah Tillet, writing for the New York Times, reports on some of their recent accomplishments: Lori Lightfoot became the first black woman mayor of Chicago in 2019. In 2016, Kim … Read more

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Gender Bias—Past Is Present

July 1, 2019 | 0 Comments

Gender bias in the workplace, defined as forms of discrimination against women that reflect the values and mind-sets of the men who created the settings and practices, is a deeply ingrained part of our culture. While many of these gender-biased mind-sets and practices are changing, Marisa Porges, writing for the … Read more

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