Company Culture
CBS ( 2.5 stars ) has begun the search for its next CEO after the departure of Les Moonves following several sexual harassment claims. In the company’s 91 year history, there has never been a female CEO (nor at NBC, ABC, or Fox for that matter), and some industry insiders posit that now would be a great time to try something new. InHerSight
ASOS, the U.K.’s largest exclusively online retailer recently added a gender-neutral clothing line called‘Collusion’ to its offerings. The new line is targeting Gen Z with a collection “built for a new generation united in their pursuit for inclusivity and representation.” And it’s doing well — in its first week of sales, the new brand was the fourth highest selling out of ASOS’s 850. Bloomberg
It’s not always smooth-sailing for women who start businesses. In a Fast Company survey of 300 female founders, 60 percent reported experiencing discrimination at the hands of investors and bankers, more than 50 percent reported experiencing discrimination from vendors or suppliers, and 26 percent reported experiencing discrimination from their own employees. Not acceptable. Fast Company
Further supporting the challenges female founders face, Y Combinator and Callisto developed a survey to ask female founders if they’d ever been assaulted or harassed by an angel investor or venture capitalist in their startup career. The results showed that out of the 88 founders who responded, 19 had experienced one or more instances of sexual coercion, sexual contact, or sexual badgering. InHerSight
A group of lawmakers has attempted to pass The Pregnancy Discrimination Act every legislative session since 2012 to provide federal protections to expectant employees. Similar to the Americans With Disabilities Act, this law would require that companies make accommodations for employees whose health depends on them. In addition to being fired or passed over for raises or promotions, pregnant workers in more laborious positions can also face more physical consequences. When employers refuse to allow pregnant workers to take on lighter physical loads, employees face a high risk of miscarriage. Why then has the legislation never been granted a hearing? It’s not radical to say that pregnant workers deserve better. The New York Times
Pop Culture
Good news, Judy Blume fans! The much beloved children’s book author has finally agreed to sign away film rights to‘Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret’ to Gracie Films. Huffington Post
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who’s famously played Elaine Benes on‘Seinfeld’ and Selina Meyer on‘Veep’ amongst other roles, has become the sixth woman ever to receive the 21st Annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, the country’s top comedic honor. The New York Times
Pop star, actress, and entrepreneur Rihanna has reportedly turned down an offer to perform at the 2019 Super Bowl halftime show in solidarity with former NFL player Colin Kaepernick. Reuters
In the News: Gender Questions on the Rise
This explosive piece by The New York Times describes how the Trump Administration is attempting to erase transgender designations by establishing a narrow definition of gender strictly based on biological sex and genitalia. Such a change could have serious consequences for the federal protections of transgender people. The New York Times
- But, non-binary and gender nonconforming people in New York City have the option to select the gender-neutral designation of X on their birth certificates without proof of surgery or a legal name-change. NYC is the first city government to pass such a provision, though four states including California, Oregon, Washington and New Jersey offer similar third-category birth certificate designations. NPR
Around the World
India’s junior foreign minister MJ Akbar has resigned after allegations of sexual harassment and assault from numerous women surfaced. Akbar has denied the allegations but one thing is certain — India’s #MeToo movement is just getting started. BBC
Last week, Queensland became the latest Australian state to decriminalize abortion, a move many attribute to the state’s high representation of women in its government. The New York Times
This summer, Ontario scrapped its basic income experiment, wherein the Canadian state’s granted 4,000 low-income residents between $17,000 $24,000, minus 50 percent of earned income. And people aren’t happy about it — over 100 Canadian CEOs, business owners, and company presidents and vice-presidents addressed the Ontario government in a letter telling them to bring the program back. The business leaders said basic income, in addition to providing relief for the working poor, aided the economy by allowing businesses to provide more jobs for workers and rely less on outsourced labor. CEOs for Basic Income
