Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg summary

Introduction

Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg

Gender Equality Status

Despite tremendous strides, we are still far from gender equality. In today's developed world, women are better off than ever before, thanks largely to the women's movement in the past century. But though at first glance it may seem like the battle against inequality has been won, there is still much to do.

Consider compensation. In one thousand nine hundred and seventy, American women made fifty nine cents for each dollar men made in similar jobs. While that figure has risen, progress has been slow, in two thousand ten, it was still only seventy seven cents. As one activist noted wryly, Forty years and eighteen cents.

A dozen eggs have gone up ten times that amount. Nor is this problem unique to the U. S. , in Europe, the current figure is little better at eighty four cents.

In addition to being monetarily undervalued, studies show that women's performance is also unfairly denigrated. When asked to assess the performance and growth potential of otherwise equal employees, both men and women discriminate against women. But surely this applies only to the ignorant and misogynistic, whereas we enlightened individuals would be fair? Surprisingly, the same studies show that the more impartial the evaluator claimed to be, the more they actually discriminated against women.

This kind of benevolent sexism is far more dangerous than the overtly hostile kind, for the perpetrator usually has no idea how his or her attitudes hurt female colleagues and thus feels no compunction to reassess them. At home too, inequality lingers. For example, it is broadly assumed that it is a woman's job to raise children. When asked whether they expected their spouse to step off their career track to raise children, forty six percent of the men surveyed said yes, compared to only five percent of the women.