“If you’re a woman who’s uttered a few words in public, chances are good that you’ve been interrupted. If you’ve been audible in an office, it’s almost inevitable. Men interrupt you in closed-door meetings and in the middle of presentations and over lunch. Call it out, risk that hated rejoinder-God, don’t be so emotional about it. None of us are immune. Not senators like Kamala Harris or Supreme Court justices. Not Michelle Obama. Not Arianna Huffington or Oprah. And not women on live television, who endure sexism, condescension, and countless, endless interruptions, all while millions of people watch.” [Gender Avenger Blog, 3/17/18]
“The federal government once led the way in addressing sexual harassment in its ranks. But now it lags behind the private sector as the problem gains prominence in the #MeToo era, according to federal officials and employment lawyers. A new study shows that sexual harassment is commonplace in federal offices. One in five women at large agencies say they have experienced some form of inappropriate behavior from a co-worker or supervisor. Nearly 9 percent of male employees report similar problems.” [WP, 4/2/18]
Martina Navratilova, who won a combined 59 major titles in singles, doubles and mixed doubles was paid £15,000 by the BBC to provide commentary for broadcasts at Wimbledon, while John McEnroe – who won 17 combined titles was paid between £150,000 and £199,999 for a similar role. [Think Progress, 3/19/18]
“The tech industry has a persistent problem with gender inequality, particularly in its leadership ranks, and a new study from LivePerson underscores just how depressingly persistent it truly is. When the company asked a representative sample of 1,000 American consumers whether they could name a famous woman leader in tech, 91.7% of respondents drew a complete blank, while only 8.3% said they could. But wait, it gets worse: Of those 8.3% who said they could name a famous woman tech leader, only 4% actually could-and a quarter of those respondents named “Siri” or “Alexa.” Now, granted, this represents only about 10 people in the survey group, but that’s 10 people for whom the most famous woman in tech is a virtual assistant.” [Gender Avenger Blog, 3/27/18]
Claire Foy, who played Queen Elizabeth II on Netflix’s “The Crown”, despite playing the head of state and the show’s primary protagonist, was paid $40,000 per-episode, less than her male co-star, Matt Smith who played Prince Phillip. [Vanity Fair – 538 Newsletter]