Women are often told to just be themselves. Here’s why that advice can be dangerous
Time Magazine writer and new MSNBC host Alicia Menendez dove into rapper Cardi B’s meteoric rise, and the “Cardi B Effect,” which is defined as “a branding power rooted in specific authenticity.” Menendez said there is pressure to be “real” and “authentic,” however, that pressure may hurt women in work sectors like corporate C-Suites or universities. Social media has blurred the lines between private and public life, but that has left women — particularly women of color — vulnerable to judgment and problems getting jobs outside of creative fields, Menendez argued.
“Scrutiny and double standards” Katie Hill’s downfall splits democrats
Katie Hill was an up-and-coming California Democrat, but her career was cut short this week when she was forced to resign after admitting to an inappropriate relationship with a campaign staffer. Later, her alleged abusive husband disseminated nude photographs of Hill on conservative websites. According to this Politico analysis, younger Democrats assert that Hill was unfairly persecuted, and that men would not face the same calls to resignation for the same actions. Older Democrats, however, believe that Hill should have been more careful with her photos.
Five women are leading the Democratic presidential campaigns behind-the-scenes, and on Thursday, they all came together to discuss inclusion at the CITIZEN by CNN event in New York. Panelists included Anita Dunn, senior adviser to former Vice President Joe Biden; Nina Turner, national co-chair for Sen. Bernie Sanders’ campaign; Lis Smith, senior adviser to South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s campaign; Lily Adams, communications director for Sen. Kamala Harris’ campaign; and Kristen Orthman, communications director for Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s campaign. Dunn said that things have changed so much since she started campaigning decades ago: “You’re not the token woman any longer.”
This is Serena Williams’ mission off the court
Tennis star Serena Williams is publicly addressing a very common, yet rarely discussed problem: financial abuse. Financial abuse exists in 99 percent of domestic abuse cases. Signs include ordering food for someone, checking grocery receipts and retaining extremely tight control over a victim’s spending. Williams teamed up with The Allstate Foundation to assist women who have endured financial abuse, and who may be economically dependent on their abuser as a result. She gave Know Your Value advice on recognizing signs and helping a friend who might be in a bad situation.
Missouri official admits to tracking women’s periods
Missouri officials are debating this week on whether or not to shut down the St. Louis Planned Parenthood, which is the state’s last abortion clinic. During the proceedings, it came to light that Missouri’s health director Dr. Randall Williams had formulated a spreadsheet to track the menstrual cycles of women who went to the clinic. From the data, he hoped to deduce the number of women who had “failed abortions” at the clinic, meaning they had to go back a second time to complete the abortion.
The science of storytelling: inspiring the next generation of female STEM leaders
Forbes writer Amy Blankson wanted to explore whether or not girls are actually being inspired by recent pushes to engage in STEM subjects. She and her 9-year-old daughter Gabri attended the IF/THEN Summit Evening of Science and Storytelling this week in Dallas, Texas. Blankson watched her daughter as the event unfolded. Gabri interviewed actress Geena Davis, and was inspired by a designer named Beata Mierzwa who combined science and fashion. After the event, Gabri told her mom unequivocally that she wanted to pursue a career in STEM, and that it takes “one girl at a time” to foster interest.
Moms put a lot of pressure on themselves to be perfect, but it’s even worse when the pressure comes from your own kids, according to New York Times writer Jessica Grose. In an op-ed, Grose described her 6-year-old daughter’s very vocal disappointment when she didn’t handcraft a Halloween costume like other parents did. Dr. Pooja Lakshmin, a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at the George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences, said that guilt coming from kids is by far the most devastating type of mom guilt.
Ken Fisher’s sexist remarks about women show that the financial advice industry has a long way to go
Billionaire money manager Ken Fisher lost $3 billion from investors in the last three weeks thanks to comments he made at the Tiburon CEO Summit on Oct. 8 in San Francisco. “Money, sex, those are the two most private things for most people,” he said. He then likened getting new clients to picking up women in a bar: “It’s like going up to a girl in a bar … (inaudible) …going up to a woman in a bar and saying, hey I want to talk about what’s in your pants.” The state of Michigan withdrew $600 million from Ken Fisher Investments as a result of the backlash.
Halley Bondy