15 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.

Six powerful women at Davos you have never heard of. Angela Merkel, Christine Lagarde and Marissa Mayer weren’t the only women there. (Fortune)

Girls outperform boys academically in 70% of countries. A new study finds they excel even in countries ranked poorly by our Global Gender Gap report. (University of Glasgow)

What did Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah do for women? Some say the late king was on their side. (Fortune)

Stressed out, dumbed down, less fertile. Is the modern workplace toxic for women, men and families? (World Economic Forum)

Empowering girls in the worst countries for gender equality. “Invest in a woman and she will invest in her family and her community.” (World Economic Forum)

The Economist appoints its first female editor. Zanny Minton Beddoes will be the first woman at the helm in its 172-year history. (Financial Times)

Obama’s answers for women. The US president wants to encourage women back into the workforce. (Bloomberg)

Women are unequal under Lebanon’s law. Many hadn’t realised “the system was stacked against them” until they sought a divorce. (Human Rights Watch)

Feminists are too obsessed with their own elite. They should be standing up for millions of low-paid women. (Guardian)

“Many women still end up living as if in cages.” What does one young Egyptian woman’s story tell us about gender equality? (New York Times)

Troubling statistics on child marriages in Ghana. “The common thread is that the girl herself has no say.” (allAfrica)

Women make groups smarter. Because they know what their colleagues are thinking. (The Atlantic)

Why female CEOs are more depressed. And how to change that. (Quartz)

Statistic of the week

• Slightly more women work in Japan than in the United States and France. In Japan, 63.4% of women are employed, compared to 63% in the United States and 61.2% in France, according to the OECD.From an article by Carlos Ghosn, Chairman of the Renault-Nissan Alliance, on closing the gender gap in Japan, the car industry and the world.

Quote of the week

Patriarchy is bestowed on men at birth. Whether you want it or not, you have a privilege as a man, and you either fight against it and reject it by becoming a feminist man, or you enjoy the privileges that come with it.

Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women. From a collection of 19 quotes on gender from Davos – including views from Melinda Gates, the Prime Minister of Norway and the President of Rwanda.

Author: Ceri Parker is an Associate Director at the World Economic Forum, and edits the Agenda blog platform.

Image: Norway’s Prime Minister Erna Solberg pictured during the session ‘Ending Poverty through Parity’ in Davos. REUTERS/Ruben Sprich