Japan’s crying rooms and other gender stories of the week

Welcome to your weekly digest of stories about how the gender gap plays out around the world — in business, health, education and politics.

Poverty is sexist. We need to measure the poverty of individuals, not households. (World Economic Forum)

Why men are faking 80-hour work weeks. Companies discriminate against women by favouring the illusion of effort. (New York Times)

A woman’s womb has no bearing on her professional capabilities. Pregnant women shouldn’t have to work overtime to prove it. (Quartz)

Eight reasons mothers make better chief executives. Everything is a negotiation. (Fortune)

Mothers do most of the “worry work”. This may be the least movable obstacle to equality in the workplace. (New York Times)

Closing the tech industry’s gender gap. The need for women is drastic. (World Economic Forum)

Google raises the stakes on diversity. “We are building products for the world. It can’t be this homogeneous.” (USA Today)

Diversity is not just about boosting growth. An inclusive company also attracts the best talent. (World Economic Forum)

Three ideas to change the world. Including investing in grandma power. (PRI)

The Syrian women risking their lives to report on the war. “To be a journalist in Syria is one of the most dangerous professions in the world.” (Elle)

The rise of female entrepreneurs in Lebanon. The line between social and commercial entrepreneurship is blurring. (Financial Times)

Nigerian women fuelling the black market. “My customers patronise me. I don’t think these boys make the kind of money I make every day.” (Daily Trust)

A historic election for women in Britain. One in three MPs are now female. (Telegraph)

But media coverage remains appallingly sexist. Scotland’s first minister as Miley Cyrus on a wrecking ball is typical. (Guardian)

France’s leery-eyed machismo is alive and well. There is a sense it goes further than just raunchy jibes. (Politico)

What Norway can teach the US about women on boards. Quotas there have worked. (The Atlantic)

Pope Francis forgives women for abortions. But the Catholic church still considers it a sin. (UPI)

Business schools scramble to recruit women. Top candidates get caught up in bidding wars. (Wall Street Journal)

The price of nice nails. Manicurists are routinely underpaid and exploited. (New York Times)

“Crying rooms” for women open in Japan. Hotel offers rooms where women can “de-stress”, stocked with tissues and sentimental films. (Mashable)

Author: Saadia Zahidi is a Senior Director, Head of Gender Parity and Human Capital and Constituents at the World Economic Forum.

Image: A woman holds an umbrella as she walks along a tree-lined path on a rainy day in Beijing November 17, 2011. REUTERS/David Gray