When Women Are Guilty of Sex Discrimination

Chapeau bas for Michael Gray's post on the BlogHer conference! I strongly believe women deserve and should fight for equal rights and chances in any field of their life. But I really doubt they will ever obtain that by closing themselves into women-only circles.

The idea of succeeding is not to do well is a closed circle, it is to do well in the world. And the world is made up of boys and girls alike. So I should add a kudos to the Women 2.0 group of LinkedIn who also has quite a few men registered.

If BlogHer wanted to show us all what's right, why not have everything 50-50? Equal numbers of male and female speakers would have been closer to my ideals than a women only support group.

There's something I'd like to disagree with: dear Michael, there's a temporary huge difference between stay at home moms and dads. And that's the pregnancy and post-partum hassle. That's something no man will experience. And if you have more than one kid, well, it can amount to quite a huge period. Other than that, you're right, no real difference!

50 Most Influential Women Bloggers

NorthxEast has just published a list of the 50 most influential women in the Blogosphere. I have to admit I've only heard of 10 or 15 of them, but I am surely going to check them out and see if any of them are worth keeping an eye on.

I hope you also join me in this endeavor to know our fellow women bloggers and see who's actually worthy of the"most influential" list. Do you know of similar lists published on different sites?

How to Express an Opinion without Offending Anyone

I believe most issues we link to sex-based discrimination emerge from one major cause: when people think, write, speak, no matter what the subject really is, they do not leave room for exceptions. And believe me, there are dozens of exceptions.

So getting it right, preserving your right to have and express an opinion freely without having it twisted into a sexist remark or some other form of rudeness or discrimination. Remember there's always an exception! Think of English or French and you'll get a feeling of how simple the rules are and how many exceptions contradict them.

So don't say women do or want or think or act like. Say some women or go ahead, take a risk and say most women. In some cases, you might getaway with it. This goes both ways. Women should really stop thinking in terms of "men" as a compact crowd, all making the same choices and mistakes.

It's easy, I'm sure you can see it now. And as one of the rules of cruel humor says, it is all so hard to implement because it seems so easy! Can you try to assimilate this simple rule in your day to day life? I Know I'll try :)

Should there Be More Women in IT?

I've recently took part in a series of IT industry events organized in the US. My biggest surprise was to notice women are a minority to all these events. I don't know why exactly, but thinking about it, this is also true at work.

There are quite a few women at AXIGEN, but still, less then men. None in tech support, none in software development. Some work as testers, quite a few in marketing, sales and HR. And I have to wonder, why is that?

Thinking back to IT and computing universities, the numbers are the same. A lot less girls than boys. Is it because the field is not attractive for women? Is it because they don't like to have to prove themselves to the alpha males? Which is it, really?

I know from my own experiences that men in IT sometimes have troubling reactions. Some look down on you, as if you had no idea what you were talking about. Some are actually surprised when you know quite a few of the techie toys they play with. Some look in disbelief when you want to learn something more technical.

Of course, on the other side, there are those taking you as you are, regardless of any differences of any kind.

Which do you think are the reasons for us women to be such a minority in this field? Would more of us make a difference and if yes, in what way?

Hey girls,

First of all, I know that I have been an extremely idle member in this blog, not to mention the whole blogosphere lately. However, I occasionally stop by to see how everyone is doing. Bless your heart Alina for keeping up the blogging spirit!

Anyway, I have been feeling very bad today, and for some reason, I felt that here is where I wanted to vent it out. Not on my own blog, not with my friends... just here.... just felt that I just needed to talk to women/girls about this. Period.

Well ok, I am rambling and not getting to my point. I feel at a loss as to what to do. What would you do, when a friend's husband is being unfaithful? Do you tell her?

What if you know and are personally involved closely with both the husband and the wife. And you find out about the infidelity. And you don't tell the wife because you know her world crash in on her.She will be devastated to say the least. Her pride would make her demand a divorce (I know that) even though one of her children is in alot of trouble now and needs some medical attention. I just feel that she probably can' t handle both right now.

So, I found out, said nothing to the wife. in the mean while, I had alot of talks with the husband. trying to show him how he is wrong. How he is hurting himself, his wife and his children (yeah he has 3)! If things are not going that well in oyur marriage, you should work on them first, before deciding to look for solutions elsewhere. Anyway, after alot of grief, and talk and persuasion (though I had been boiling inside, I really think I did it for the kids), and similar talk from other parties as well, he seemed to come around, say he would end it, and make a real try with his wife etc etc.

though I was still not satisfied, I left it at that,and hopes things would work out for the best.

Later, the wife asks me straight out, if I know if there was someone else. I felt put in the hot seat instantly. I am not a very good liar. And I hate lying, and feel that the truth just is stuck in my throat waiting tocome out. not that i am a blabber mouth, just that actual SAYING false statements hurts me inside. I can't do it, neither do I like doing it. so today, when it was for a good cause, it felt awful still. I felt like I was betraying her. She told me :" as my friend, I expect you to tell me if something is going on that you know"

tht just hit me in the chest right then and there. Even now when I am writing this down, I feel awful. AWFUL. I feel like I am betraying her in some way. I hate it hate it hate it.

From what she tells me, it seems that he is very much still in that other relationship that she knows nothing about. I am so angry at him right now.

Don't know what to do. I feel awful for her. I feel very angry at the guy. I feel like I am a conspirator to it somehow by hiding it. I don't know. I just feel really really bad. May God give me the wisdom to do what is right.

The Theory Behind Gallic Guides to Gorgeousness

Recently there as been a slew of books concerning the merits of French women and how us non-French mortals can emulate them.

Such books contain a definite emphasis upon cliched stereotypes, and more disturbingly, on the concept that thiness equals happiness.

Here is a link to a good dissection of this trend and its implications.

Goldman to Invest $100 Million to Teach Women about Business

One of the world's largest investment banks, Goldman Sachs Group Inc., the world's largest investment bank, has recently announced they intent to spend $100 million into the education of 10,000 women from the Middle East, Asia and Africa. The funds will be used to develop the business and management skills of women from these regions.

The learning sessions will be developed with major universities from the US and other countries and it will and will last from 5 weeks to nine months, reports CNN Money.

Goldman Sachs Chairman and Chief Executive Lloyd Blankfein said those recruited into the program will learn basic business principals such as marketing and funding their business ideas. The hope is that they return to their communities, put what they learned to use, and add to their local economies.

"For example, Africa has about 2,600 women business students in a 900 million person continent. ... That's a waste," Blankfein told The Associated Press. "Helping women get a business education is an issue getting riper and riper, and there's a feeling it is long overdue."

A study by the World Bank showed about 70,000 highly qualified African scholars and experts leave their home countries each year to work abroad, most relocating to more developed countries. Africa then spends about $4 billion a year to recruit expatriates to fill those positions.

How Do Women See Site Usability

I have recently attended a Digital Marketing conference. During one of the debates, someone raised the question about women's online preferences. The basic idea they've drawn, is that unlike men, women aren't that keen on simple sites. They like to discover them, they like them to be beautifully designed and get them to look into them for a while before figuring everything out.

I was a bit dazzled by these affirmations, to be honest. Maybe is the way I am, or my line of business that requires a lot or searching, a lot of contacts to be found and a lot of reading. But I like things clear and simple. I do love exquisite designs, but if this means I don't find what I need fast enough, it becomes a big no-no.

Yes, I love sites that keep me coming back. Rich and meaningful content, frequent updates, great product description and ease of online purchasing, this is what I look online. But if a site tricky and while searching for an item I forget where I started, it gets really annoying.

How about you, girls, what do you think site usability is all about? How important is it to all of you? Is complicated, twisted and challenging something you find appealing in a website? And if there are women who do, why is that? And do you look for it in all circumstances or do you act differently when you're working or in a hurry to find something?