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October 28, 2009 Sign up Forward Archive News to get ahead and get connected   Top Story  Workplace equality achieved in stages since 1964 Pete Williams, justice correspondent for NBC News, offers an overview of the court decisions and laws of the past few decades that opened doors for working women. The 1964 Civil Rights Act laid the foundation for two decades of changes that would follow, as women were allowed into careers from which they previously had been barred. MSNBC (10/16)   Women in Focus  P&G exec offers advice for newbies Joanne Crewes, a Singapore-based Procter & Gamble executive who oversees a premium skin-care product line, rose through the ranks after starting as a brand assistant 21 years ago. Crewes advises new hires to make contributions from their first day on the job, understand that management wants to add value and not just inspect work and that differences in communication styles need to be worked out before they escalate into bigger issues. The Wall Street Journal (10/19) Women scientists vindicated by recent Nobel Prize awards Recent awards of Nobel Prizes in biology and chemistry to three women have vindicated Nancy Hopkins, an MIT biologist who took a stand against former Harvard President Larry Summers in 2005 when he said a difference in women's brains may account for why there are not more women scientists. Hopkins and MIT microbiologist Mary-Lou Pardue recall the bias they have faced in the hiring process. Noozhawk.com (Santa Barbara County, Calif.) (10/18) "Mommy wars" stir up heated debate The San Francisco Chronicle has a long string of comments responding to its post about a recent "Dr. Phil" episode. The show explored the so-called Mommy wars, referring to the hostility that some observers perceive as existing between stay-at-home-moms and moms who work outside the home. San Francisco Chronicle (10/15)   Workplace Update  Women's income rose faster than men's during recession, data indicate New Labor Department statistics indicate that women's wages held up better during the recession than those of men. In the past 24 months, wages for a woman in the statistical middle of all women earners climbed 3.2% when inflation is adjusted for, while the pay for the median male increased 2%, per this article. The Wall Street Journal (10/17) Feminism cannot be blamed for making women unhappy Barbara Ehrenreich, author of "Bright-Sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America," takes exception to a recent study that blames feminism for making modern women unhappy. She enumerates her arguments against the study, writing: "1) that there are some issues with happiness studies in general; (2) that there are some reasons to doubt this study in particular; and (3) that even if you take this study at face value, it has nothing at all to say about the impact of feminism on anyone's mood." Los Angeles Times (10/14) Working moms talk about fear, stress of coping with recession Working mothers tell Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Rana Cash about the impact the economic recession has had on their households. "I think that many people are still in a 'state of shock' about the damage that this recession has done to their lives," a reader says. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (free registration) (10/16)   Leadership  Survey: Most women believe dress affects success A PINK Magazine and Corset Personal Styling poll of women professionals indicates 98% of the respondents believe style is a crucial factor in career success. "With appearance being key to workplace advancement, women should consider their wardrobe management as critical as employee, time or budget management," PINK editor Cynthia Good writes. Reuters (10/14) , Courier-Post (Camden-Cherry Hill, N.J.) (10/18) Leaders discuss "code switching" in their fields Claire Damken-Brown and Audrey Nelson, authors of "Code Switching: How to Talk So Men Will Listen," suggest that women can alter their workplace communication style in a way that enhances their professional standing. The authors say that the ways in which women usually learn to communicate can unfairly lead to their ideas being given less weight in the workplace. The New Zealand Herald (10/18) 10 rules for working women Ann Daly, author of "Do-Over! How Women Are Reinventing Their Lives," has developed a list of "unwritten rules" women can use to keep from falling victim to stereotypes and gender gaps. Among them: Men get the benefit of the doubt but women have to prove themselves, looks do matter and you have to ask for feedback. Forbes (10/20)   SmartQuote  Good teaching is one-fourth preparation and three-fourths theater." --Gail Godwin, American novelist       Subscriber Tools       Print friendly format | Web version | Search past news | Archive | Privacy policy   Contact Forté Foundation Forté Foundation 9600 Escarpment Suite 745 PMB 72 Austin, TX 78749 Ph: 1.512.535.5157 Fx: 1.866.296.7848 www.fortefoundation.org info@fortefoundation.org   About Forté Foundation Forté Foundation is a consortium of leading multinational corporations, top business schools in the U.S. and abroad, and the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC). Forté has become a powerful change agent directing women towards leadership roles in business and enabling corporations to more effectively reach and retain top female talent. 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