gender equality

A NYT article titled "A Labor Market Punishing to Mothers" digs deeper into data showing some progress among persistent gender inequality in the U.S. labor market. The author believes that "best hope for making progress against today’s gender inequality probably involves some combination of legal and cultural changes." Although policies like free preschool and flextime @ work help, even in "European countries with much more generous parental leave laws, women remain far behind men on career ladders." I believe that the rising numbers of fathers who work part time or take time off to provide childcare (self included) are a part of this cultural shift. One of my very small contributions is to challenge language that discounts the work involved in childcare.

Read more about Kristof's very relevant gender equity in the work place article.
Kristof’s article in today’s Times provides a thoughtful, balanced and brief look into changing dynamics in between men and women in the labor force. After positing that the skills needed in the new economy may favor women (or at least traditionally feminine-gendered traits) he urges us to “forget about gender war and zero-sum games. Odds are that we men will find a way to hold our own, with the help of women. And we’ll benefit as smart and talented women belatedly have the opportunity to deploy their skills on behalf of all of humanity — including those of us with Y chromosomes.” This is a tide that truly lifts all boats.

Friday’s NYTimes article “Out of the Loop in Silicon Valley” is a striking reminder of the gender inequalities we still face in many areas of the business world. Despite the fact that women now outnumber men in the workforce and at top undergraduate, law and medical schools, women remain vastly underrepresented in one of the country’s most innovative and profit creating sectors: internet and technology.

Look no further than Silicon Alley megastar Fred Wilson’s investment
portfolio at Union Square
Ventures to see this gender imbalance.  Of a total of 27 portfolio
companies, zero were co-founded by women.

But change is upon us. A new generation of female entrepreneurs is
growing here in New York City.  Gilt Group,

V. interesting article! I've always loved the idea of blending sports and respecting women--both true performances of masculinity.

The bad news:
++One in three married women in India report some form of domestic abuse.

The good news:
++A new program (launching March 8) hopes to use India's
most popular sport to reduce domestic violence; around 25 cricket coaches in Mumbai are now being trained to teach their players how to behave with a woman.

Link here: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/5604394.cms.

Discussion welcome!

Iranian men have posted photos of themselves wearing the head covering
typically worn by Muslim women. The images show hundreds of men clad in
bright green headscarves posing mockingly for the camera.
This campaign was sparked by the government's attempt to humiliate
leading student activist Majid Tavakoli. Authorities arrested Tavakoli
after he delivered a fiery anti-government speech during Iran's Student
Day demonstrations on December 7th. Following his detention, the
semi-official Fars News Agency published photos of him wearing a
woman's veil, claiming that he had been found trying to escape from
campus using it as a disguise. Many members of the opposition believe
the photos were fabricated to discredit and disgrace the young activist.
Now, men too have taken up the veil as a symbol of political protest.
This campaign is not only a reaction against the mistreatment of
political prisoners, but also against male chauvinism. From the

For the longest time, I thought that gender equality was a cause
that had to be borne continually by women. Over the course of my college
experience, however, it became apparent to me that the only way we could truly
achieve equality was through the engagement and participation of men as well. Gender
relations are the opposite of a zero-sum game, if you will, and organizations
like this one that promote respecting and valuing women as true masculinity can
only benefit both genders.

We are excited about the creation of this group and look
forward to your participation! Thank you for reading.