11 must-read stories about gender

“No Gender December.” A campaign to end stereotypical children’s toys splits opinion. Do those aisles of pink and blue make you see red? (Sydney Morning Herald)

Germany imposes quotas for women on boards. Large companies must have 30% female directors. (BBC)

Tech’s gender gap wasn’t always so bad. Here’s how it got worse. (Wired)

Nurturing gender equality in rural India. Women teach women how to farm and sell their crops. (Bloomberg)

Bollywood’s female stars shine. But their pay is lacklustre. (ABC News)

Want to help vulnerable women? Fund shelters, so they don’t have to stay in abusive relationships. (World Economic Forum)

Working women pose a conundrum for Saudis. Changes in the workforce could also change attitudes. (New York Times)

Fewer than one in four British MPs is a women. They talk about life in parliament. (Guardian)

“Shared parental leave is a brilliant idea.” From April next year, parents in the UK can split time off. At last, writes one new father. (Telegraph)

Statistic of the Week

Twenty-eight percent of lawmakers in Afghanistan are women, a higher proportion than in the United States and France.

But women there face endemic levels of harassment.

Quote of the Week

“While we’ve moved on, many toy companies haven’t.”

Julie Huberman, co-founder of the No Gender December campaign, which wants an end to stereotyping in children’s toys.

Author: Ceri Parker, Associate Director, Forum Blog.

Image: A woman looks over the financial district from a window in The View gallery at the Shard, western Europe’s tallest building, in London January 9, 2013. REUTERS/Luke Macgregor