Will #TimesUp help curb sexual harassment?

In the wake of #MeToo, hundreds of Hollywood A-listers are fighting back against sexual misconduct.

Haute Couture Feminism


Stargazers, Part 2

Today's lady astronomers are following a trail that was blazed by brilliant women centuries ago, but it hasn't always been easy-going. Cristen and Caroline examine the state of this fascinating STEM field and the women who are helping to map the sky.

Stargazers, Part 1

Women have been making critical contributions to the field of astronomy since ancient times, but once it became professionalized in the modern era, many women were shoved aside. Cristen and Caroline look at astronomy's evolution and share the contributions of some of the stargazing pioneers.



Vocal Fry in the Workplace

Lean In + SMNTY: Why is "bossy" a bad word?

In her hilarious and insightful memoir "Bossypants," Tina Fey shares how people demonstrate a peculiar befuddlement with her professional authority. She writes: "Ever since I became an executive producer of '30 Rock,' people have asked me ... 'Is it uncomfortable for you to be the person in charge?' You know, in the same way they say, 'Gosh, Mr. Trump, is it awkward for you to be the boss of all these people?" And of course people might assume that Fey is "uncomfortable" being the boss because that title doesn't often attract many kindly descriptors if you're a woman.

Office Romance By the Numbers

When women entered the office in the 1870s, so did sex. By that time, barely 2,000 women had entered the office workplace, which was being gradually revolutionized, gender-wise, partially due to a Civil War-related "man drain." This was also when a company called E. Remington & Sons was looking to diversify its post-war product line away from rifles and got into the typewriter business. By 1900, the proportion of female stenographers or "typewriter girls" was 76.7 percent, as secretarial work was well on its way to becoming a "pink collar" profession.

The Most Stereotyped Female Profession

The fact that I even labeled this a "female" profession is a major indicator of how pigeonholed and stereotyped it has been, arguably for the duration of its existence. What, pray tell, is this most-stereotyped lady job? The secretary, or administrative assistant in today's office parlance.