U.S. President Donald Trump is sitting down with eight CEOs today to discuss topics like regulation and trade. Three women are on the list: Indra Nooyi of PepsiCo, Ginni Rometty of IBM, and Mary Barra of GM. They were previously named to Trump’s business council.
Interestingly enough, not one of them is expected to speak about “women in the workforce,” an item that appears on the agenda. Instead, a list circulated by the White House says Doug McMillon of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. And Mark Weinberger of EY will advise the president on that point.
It should be noted that EY has an especially generous parental leave policy. But still, the selection of two men to talk about women in the workforce is reminiscent of the all-male panel on gender equality that PayPal assembled last year. The company defended that much-criticized move by saying that the fight for gender equality needs men as allies. The Trump administration could make that same argument.
At this point, I’m (cautiously) encouraged that the White House is broaching the women’s workforce issue in the first place.
EUROPE/MIDDLE EAST/AFRICA
| . |
| An unlikely ensemble |
| An Afghan musicologist named Ahmad Naser Sarmast started an all-female orchestra a few years ago to restore his country's rich music tradition. He'd expected to assemble a four- or five-member ensemble, but it quickly evolved into a 30-woman orchestra. That's a remarkable feat considering the musicians come from a strict Muslim society where it's often dangerous for young women to leave the home unescorted. |
| NPR |
THE AMERICAS
| Dumping Trump |
| Nordstrom said yesterday that it will stop selling Ivanka Trump items this season because of the controversial brand's performance. The decision follows boycotts by some shoppers who were angered by her father's political rhetoric. |
| Coins2Day |
| . |
| Serious drive |
| Golfer Paige Spiranac landed a pro career by way of a viral Instagram post. Her good looks and trick shots have attracted legions of fans, but have also sparked backlash from critics and competitors. |
| Golf |
| . |
| Open in Oregon |
| The New Yorker has a profile of Oregon Governor Kate Brown, who in November became the first openly LGBT governor voted into office. Brown won Oregon by a larger margin than Hillary Clinton, meaning she "may well have the broadest mandate of any progressive politician in the country." |
| New Yorker |
ASIA-PACIFIC
| Pitch, please |
| Australia's AFLW—a professional women's football league—launches its inaugural season today. An exhibition game last year attracted more viewers than expected, sparking interest in the league. |
| Australian |
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| Unexpected entourage |
| Chinese billionaire Xiao Jianhua was taken—under mysterious circumstances—from his apartment in Hong Kong to mainland China last week. His security staff is now getting extra scrutiny. Xiao would reportedly have as many as eight female bodyguards protecting him at once. Security experts say female bodyguards are common for women VIPs, but it's rare for a male client to hire so many. |
| South China Morning Post |
| . |
| Check mate debate |
| China's Hou Yifan, the youngest player ever to become the women's world chess champion, resigned from a major chess event in dramatic fashion yesterday after she repeatedly faced other women in the co-ed competition. Event organizers said the pairings were drawn by a machine, but that didn't satisfy Yifan. "It makes me really, really upset," she said. "Not just for me but for the other women players." |
| Telegraph |
IN BRIEF
| Women join in celebration of World Hijab Day |
| Time |
| Hillary Clinton is writing two books |
| Coins2Day |
| The 12-year-old founder of #1000BlackGirlBooks is writing a book of her own |
| New York Magazine |
| Lifetime network will air women’s soccer in a push to broaden its TV ‘fempire’ |
| Bloomberg |
| The Ivy League's gender pay-gap problem |
| Atlantic |
PARTING WORDS
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| --Susie Buffett on her dad, Warren, who's worth $74 billion. |
