Top stories on Women in Leadership in 2015

I’m with Jennifer Lawrence, F-that to being ‘adorable’ at work

The expectation that women must be likeable has held us back too long – it’s time we challenged the workplace status quo

Jennifer Lawrence’s essay, Why Do I Make Less Than My Male Co-Stars? caused an internet storm when it was released in October. Many found it hard to sympathise with someone who commands millions per movie, while others applauded her candid, direct approach to an important issue. It’s safe to say that Women in Leadership’s editor, Harriet Minter, was firmly in the latter team. Her piece on the negative reaction that often greets assertive women in the workplace was our most-read article in 2015 - and generated some “spirited” debate in the comments section. 

Why academia needs emotional, passionate women

‘Feeling passionate about your research is essential and yet, traditionally, academic work should be rational, methodological, and dispassionate’ 

The furore over Sir Tim Hunt’s comments about “emotional” women creating a distraction in academia dominated the deadlines this summer. While many responses focused on the sexist, thoughtless nature of Hunt’s comments, theology PhD student Karen O’Donnell instead argued that passion and emotion actually play an essential part in academia, and the image of it as a staid, objective profession is misjudged. 

Maternity leave discrimination: five women tell their stories

Credit: Huffington Post

Each year 54,000 women face bullying or betrayal when they return to work from maternity leave. The Pregnant Then Screwed campaign gives women a place to share their stories anonymously

Shocking research shows that 54,000 women are forced out of work each year after having a baby. It may seem unbelievable that in 2015 this discrimination is still so prevalent, but the stories shared by these women prove that we have a long way to go before we reach true equality in the workplace. This issue, unsurprisingly, struck a chord with our readers, with many sharing their own experiences of maternity discrimination in the comments. 

Equal pay day: a woman’s guide to getting a pay rise

Credit: Van City Buzz

First up, be a man. And if you can’t do that then stop eating. Oh, and don’t mention the c-word

Want a pay rise? Well, don’t have children for a start. And obviously the less you weigh, the more you earn, so perhaps a diet would help as well. This tongue-in-cheek look at some of the ridiculous responses to the gender pay gap debate may have been a little controversial, but it successfully debunked some of the more frustrating myths about that really holds women back. 

Girls can have it all, we need to stop telling them otherwise

Juggling both children and work can be difficult but if we warn girls off it from an early age, we’ll never change the workplace 

When Vivienne Durham, headteacher at independent girls’ school Francis Holland Regent’s Park, said in an interview that we need to stop feeding girls the myth of “having it all”, there was a chorus of disagreement. No one tells young boys that having a family will hold them back, or that anything can stop them from being successful. This piece argues that, while an honest conversation is essential to prepare girls for the realities of the workplace, we need to give them the tools to deal with the barriers they may face, rather than simply telling them that they can’t.7

Five TED Talks that will change the way you work

To mark the opening of the TEDWomen conference, we compiled some of our favourite videos from TED’s most inspiring speakers

Sometimes a little inspiration can go a long way. This round-up of some of our favourite TED talks resonated with readers, as it was one of our most read and shared pieces of 2015. Listening to advice on work and life from Sheryl Sandberg, Anne-Marie Slaughter and others is the perfect antidote for anyone struggling to find focus and direction in their working lives.

By Lottie O'Conor

Source: The Guardian