Women in magic 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.

Mobile schools offer hope for Kenyan girls. Travelling classrooms follow families as they search for water, grazing and safety. (World Economic Forum)

Obama urges Kenya to invest in women. Entrepreneurship is the spark of prosperity, he says. (Capital FM)

Saudi women find ways into work. There is evidence of a seismic shift in the ultraconservative country. (Los Angeles Times)

Why CEOs with daughters are nicer to work for. There’s truth in the film Despicable Me. (World Economic Forum)

Stop treating women like men. It’s holding them back. (Harvard Business Review)

How a secret spreadsheet helped tackle inequality. Google employees shared their salary details, prompting fairer pay. (Quartz)

UK’s halting progress to board-level equality. Hitting a headline target hides a lack of improvement lower down. (Financial Times)

Is flexible working stalling women’s careers? Fewer hours could mean fewer promotions. (Times Higher Education)

It’s a myth that mothers’ salaries pay for childcare – most children have two parents. (Billfold)

Millennial women plan careers with children in mind. Surveys show they expect priorities to shift. (New York Times)

Smashing the pipeline myth. A nine-step guide to hiring qualified women. (Fortune)

Solving football’s gender pay gap. Male players earn almost 18 times more than their female counterparts. (World Economic Forum)

The power of her voice. The female head of HSBC India hopes to inspire other working women. (The Hindu)

NoRoomForHer.Com. E-commerce in India is dominated by men. (Indian Express)

Five Iranian women are shattering feminist stereotypes. “The women I discovered are fearless and highly educated.” (Mic)

They’re the first female pilots in their countries – and they’re striving to inspire young girls. (Public Radio International)

The woman making magic’s glass ceiling disappear. “We’re more than just scantily clad assistants.” (Guardian)

Statistic of the Week

Spain this week raised the minimum age for marriage from 14 to 16, having had the lowest marrying age in Europe. The change comes only months after the government raised the age of consent from 13 to 16.

Quote of the Week

“If half of your team is not playing, you’ve got a problem. And in too many countries, half of the team – our women and girls – are not participating enough in this.”
Barack Obama, president of the US, speaking in Kenya

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

Image: Facebook design chief Kate Aronowitz works at the company’s headquarters in Menlo Park, California March 2, 2012. REUTERS/Robert Galbraith