The New York Times recently published a fascinating and tragic article about a small group of women in rural India who challenged the social order of their village by seeking and obtaining jobs at a meat-processing factory. The women walked 10 miles each way (to save the 7-cent rickshaw fare) to the factory. There, they […]

In any uphill battle, solidarity is often the key to success. Last weekend I had dinner with an old friend, Chloe Safier, who has been an ongoing advocate for women’s rights, both in the US and abroad.  I took the opportunity to talk with her about the global movement for gender justice and how building […]

The Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) is an international treaty adopted by the United States and ratified by almost every country in the world. If you have not heard of it, that may be because the United States is only one of seven countries that has failed to […]

What do the words “ninja,” “rock star,” and “badass” have in common? It turns out that these words, when listed in job descriptions, are major deterrents for women job seekers.  Social science research has called attention to the role of job descriptions in perpetuating gender inequality.  For example, a 2011 study entitled “Evidence That Gendered […]

In late 2014, the Sony Pictures email hack revealed a substantial gender-based pay gap. Of the most notable revelations was that Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence was paid substantially less than her male co-stars for her role in American Hustle. The hack also revealed that Hannah Minghella, co-president of Columbia Pictures, earns almost $1 million less […]

  For every woman who’s ever questioned if she is paid less than her male colleagues, President Obama has an answer: Let’s run the numbers. According to a proposed rule, businesses with more than 100 employees will soon provide salary data to the EEOC annually, along with the more general information on workforce demographics employers […]

If you go to Chipotle’s webpage, you’ll see that in addition to providing information about its menu, catering options and other logistics issues like locations, contact information and promotions, it talks about how it provides “Food with Integrity.”  Wander into any Chipotle and you’ll see similar messages plastered onto its walls about how important it […]

Many of my friends and colleagues initially responded to the story of a group of armed men taking control of an outpost on federally protected lands with a cross between disbelief and humor.  Talk of “YallQaeda” and “VanillaIsis” abounded. But beyond the humor, there was also a more sobering discussion – the fact that if […]

Earlier this fall I coordinated a happy hour with the D.C. Women’s Bar Association, and I enjoyed talking with several interesting women (and a handful of men brave enough to come to a WBA event!).  I talked with Andi Cullins about her efforts to get more women on corporate boards.  Andi explained that she is […]

The National Employment Lawyers Association, or NELA, does a ton of great work advocating for workplace rights.  One of my first interviews for this blog was with Roberta Steele, Program Director at the organization, about how forced arbitration prevents American workers from enforcing their rights.  As the Legislative & Public Policy Director for NELA, Laura […]