The Woman Card
Jill Lepore, The New Yorker
“This election isn’t a battle between the sexes,” Lepore writes of the 2016 presidential race. “But it is a battle between the parties.” From Fanny Wright and Angelina Grimké to Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony and Alice Paul, women began revolutionizing the public sphere well before they had the right to vote. These women influenced the country using their only sources of power: the era’s religious revival and moral crusade. And their influence was most evident in the Republican party. So while gender may appear to be one of the main divides in the election contest between Clinton and Trump, we should remember that both candidates began their careers supporting the party they now oppose, Lepore says. The true distinction lies within the moral values of the two parties.
Why Women (Sometimes) Don’t Help Other Women
Marianne Cooper, The Atlantic
Conflict or aggression between women is very often perceived as hostile, dysfunctional and “catty,” while between men it is viewed as normal. But Cooper argues that this “Queen Bee” stereotype results from not just gender bias but female reactions to a sexist world. “It’s not the case that women are inherently catty,” Cooper writes. “Instead, Queen Bee behaviors are triggered in male dominated environments in which women are devalued.” To avoid association with negative stereotypes, some women distance themselves or intentionally denigrate other women in the workplace. But Cooper points to studies that show lower levels of gender discrimination in workplaces that have more female supervisors. This suggests that, when women are treated equally, the Queen Bees disappear.
Meet the Women Helping Build the Tech Industry in the Middle East
Jonathan Allford, The Guardian
Growing technology and gaming industries are bringing hope and opportunity to the Middle East — and women are leading the way. In Lebanon, partnerships with the U.K. and progressive education have provided exposure to the tech industry, allowing the country to improve its technology infrastructure and build a brighter future. Women dominate the tech industry in Lebanon, many of whom have gone abroad and brought back their knowledge. Lara Noujaim, a former data evaluator at Google, returned home to help foster the gaming industry there. “Games are an escape, a way to have fun,” she told Allford. “But for us in Lebanon, games are also used as a distraction from the frustration at events in the country.”
Veterans Use Battlefield Experiences to Build Businesses
Aili McConnon, The New York Times
Entrepreneurial veterans are applying the tools and techniques they learned during active duty to new business ideas. A former Navy engineer created Rhumbix, an application that shares construction workers’ timesheets and was inspired by a location-tracking system he used during the Arab Spring. The founder of Earl Energy developed hybrid generators to reduce the number of soldiers transporting fuel. And 1,000 Stories contributor Angela Cody-Rouget, owner of Major Mom, organizes clients’ homes using military-style organizational design. Though fewer veterans are beginning startups today than they did in decades past, McConnon writes that military experience provides essential tools that can help former soldiers find success in business.
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