Hillary Clinton’s Candidacy Reveals Generational Schism Among Women
Sheryl Gay Stolberg, The New York Times
Hillary Clinton’s presidential run is pitting mothers against daughters, according to interviews and an online survey by The New York Times. Many older women Democrats are rallying behind Clinton, identifying with her struggles to break the glass ceiling, while many younger women are joining men in their age cohort in supporting Bernie Sanders. Kate Cronin-Furman and Mira Rapp-Hooper of Vox also reported wonderfully on the divide, arguing “it’s not so surprising that very young women don’t feel the same excitement about a competitive, hyper-qualified female candidate for the presidency that their mothers, aunts, and older sisters do. For them, the world may seem like a much more equal place than it actually is.”
I Analyzed a Year of My Reporting for Gender Bias (Again)
Adrienne LaFrance, The Atlantic
Discerning consumers of media know that when it comes to reporting, sourcing and editing news, it’s still mostly a man’s world. In an effort at self-exploration, LaFrance enlisted MIT Media Lab Ph.D. candidate and Harvard Berkman Center fellow Nathan Matias in examining her own work’s gender balance, repeating an exercise she undertook in 2013. The journalist was less-than pleased with her results: In 2013, about 25 percent of the people she mentioned in 136 articles were women, while, in 2015, that percentage dropped to 22 percent in 192 articles. We weren’t surprised by the facts and figures, but we found LaFrance’s introspection refreshing and thought-provoking. She came up with three ways to improve. We’ll be on the lookout for her next scorecard.
The Feel-Good Female Solidarity Machine
Sheelah Kolhatkar, Bloomberg Business
There’s no shortage of conferences geared toward helping women lean in, break glass ceilings and climb corporate ladders. But as Kolhatkar notes, the glow of inspiration and energy from attending these events tends to wear off fast when attendees return to the (male-dominated) real world. There are some positives, of course. Connecting with other women and hearing from prominent female leaders feels empowering to many women who attend. But are they prompting anything like the collective action needed to make change? “Even though we have Beyoncé standing on a stage with the word ‘feminist’ in block letters behind her,” says Zing Tsjeng, the U.K. editor of Broadly, “it still feels like we are fighting for very basic things.”
The Pink Tax: Why Women’s Products Often Cost More
Susan Johnston Taylor, U.S. News & World Report
Women often pay a premium for toiletries and other necessities, including women’s versions of the same products men buy. This holds true for everything from razors and shaving cream to clothing and toys. The phenomenon is referred to as the “pink tax,” and it sometimes results in women paying close to 50 percent more than men for the same, or similar, items. This tax stings even more, as Taylor rightly notes, when you consider that women earn less money than men for the same work. We appreciate Taylor’s exploration of these issues — and her helpful tips on navigating gender pricing and securing maximum savings.
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