10 gender stories of the week

This week’s digest of stories about how the gender gap plays out around the world – in business, health, education and politics. Subscribe here to receive this by email.

“My father forced me to marry.” Mozambique pledges to eradicate child marriage. (All Africa)

Japan’s female truckers. “There were always female applicants in the past but we didn’t hire them.” (Financial Times)

“Stop apologising for who you are.” Female leaders share their career tips for a successful 2015. (Fortune)

A goddess, a tiger and a rape survivor fight sexual violence. A new comic book highlights the stigma of rape in India. (Hindustan Times)

The birth of the internet created vast gender gaps. Half the Stanford class of ‘94 were women. As the web took off, they excelled. So what went wrong? (New York Times)

…And how can we close tech’s gender divide? If companies want more women, they have to embrace remote working. (Fast Company)

The origins of “having it all”. How a glossy book title from 1982 became a dusty debate and a false promise. (New York Times)

The loophole that’s letting Afghan women down. A law to protect women from violence is not being implemented. (Al Jazeera)

Think small in 2015. “With enough small actions, you could change the world.” (New Statesman)

How feminism conquered pop culture. From Beyoncé to Frozen, 2014 was the year equality became cool. (Telegraph)

Statistic of the Week

Female chief financial officers are 17% less inclined to dodge taxes, according to the American Accounting Association.

Quote of the Year

“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.”

The writer and campaigner Maya Angalou, cited in this collection of 15 inspiring quotes for the New Year. Best known for her memoir I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Angalou died last year.

Author: Ceri Parker, Associate Director, Forum Blog.

Image: A woman uses her mobile phone as she walks past the main hall inside the National Grand Theatre, which has been nicknamed “The Egg”, in Beijing December 14, 2010.  REUTERS/Petar Kujundzic