Good morning, Broadsheet readers! Alexa von Tobel has sold LearnVest, the Supreme Court will hear a pregnancy discrimination suit against UPS, and the battle over Elaine Wynn’s board seat is getting nasty. Read on to learn why the healthcare industry isn’t as female-friendly as you may think. Hope you have a fantastic Thursday.
EVERYONE'S TALKING
• Another day in court. The Supreme Court has revived a pregnancy discrimination suit against UPS. As a you may recall, the company was sued by ex-employee Peggy Young, who had been placed on unpaid leave when she was unable to lift things during her pregnancy. SCOTUS vacated the decision of a lower court, which had dismissed the suit, and will allow Young another chance to prove her case. New York Times
ALSO IN THE HEADLINES
• Educational exit. Northwestern Mutual shelled out more than $250 million to acquire LearnVest, the financial planning startup founded by Alexa von Tobel. LearnVest, which had raised $75 million in venture capital, was originally dedicated to helping women become more financially savvy, but later broadened its service to include men. Fortune
• Battle over the board. The fight over Wynn Resorts co-founder Elaine Wynn's seat on the company's board is heating up. Earlier this week, Wynn Resorts accused Elaine of a conflict of interest and an improper stock sale, among other offenses. Wynn responded with a letter to sharehlders, accusing the board of going to “reckless lengths” to exclude her. She denies its accusations and says she was unaware of the $9.5 million stock sale.
• Deliberations begin. Lawyers on both sides of Ellen Pao's gender discrimination suit against VC firm Kleiner Perkins made their final statements yesterday. Pao's lawyer, Therese Lawless, finished with an impassioned speech calling for equality for women in tech, or as Re/Code dubbed it, "the Ellen Pao Lean-In Manifesto." Kleiner Perkins promoted men over equally qualified women, said Lawless: "This type of behavior is no longer acceptable." Now, we wait: The jury has begun deliberations. Re/Code
• Striking a balance. Maelle Gavet, CEO of Ozon -- known as the “Amazon of Russia”-- writes about how she managed to build a gender-balanced tech giant. Among her moves: Eliminate any wage gap, interview every female candidate who applies for an IT job, and provide one-on-one coaching. The result: Women make up 48% of Ozon's management team. Fortune
• Crossing the border? The EU, led by antitrust chief Margrethe Vestage, will open an investigation into whether e-commerce firms like Amazon.com are violating antitrust laws by restricting cross-border trade. WSJ
BROADVIEW
Why healthcare isn't as female-friendly as you think
There's no shortage of stories about the lack of women in tech or venture capital. But if there's one field that's been thought of as a shining light for women, it's healthcare.
A pair of new reports, however, show that the healthcare industry is a long way from achieving real gender diversity—both in the ranks of upper management and among the rank-and-file. "The numbers are still so sad," says Halle Tecco, a founder of Rock Health, an early-stage venture capital firm that issued one of the studies.
First, some background: Women account for 78% of the healthcare labor force. When Fortune put together its list of the 10 best companies for women, six of the 10 were hospitals or healthcare systems. Plus, healthcare deeply affects women's daily lives: Women make up to 80% of the healthcare decisions for their families, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
However, those numbers start to get a lot smaller when you look at hospital leadership. The new report from Rock Health found that women make up just 34% of executives at the top 100 hospitals, as identified by healthcare data firm Truven Health Analytics. These hospitals also have lopsided boards, with women holding only 27% of seats.
And things aren't much better for the female staff of these institutions. New research released Tuesday revealed that male nurses make, on average, $5,100 more per year than do female nurses in similar roles.
To read the rest of my story, click here.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
• Oprah's favorite things? On April 26, more than 500 lots from Oprah Winfrey's former Chicago apartment will be auctioned to benefit the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy Foundation. Ever dreamed of owning Oprah's old shoes, art or "makeup and hairstyling cart?" Now's your chance! Bloomberg
• A hot take. Kristen Schaal, The Daily Show’s "senior women’s issues correspondent," took on a report that women may not see pay equity until 2058. Her take on the wage gap? I won't repeat Schaal's exact (four-letter) words, but let's just say she's not a fan. Mediaite
• The power of fashion? Is Michelle Obama, who has been touring Asia to promote the “Let Girls Learn” campaign, using her "girlie" outfits to send a message? Perhaps. According to The New York Times, her ensembles are intended to imply "you can dress like a girl and dream about getting a Ph.D. (or a law degree, if we are being picayune), too." NY Times
• The resume gap. According to Kieran Snyder, CEO of Textio, a company that analyzes job listings, there's a significant difference in the ways that men and women describe their work history on their resumes. The problem? Tech hiring managers tend to gravitate toward the language used by men. Fortune
• Personal passions. When New York City mayor Bill de Blasio took office, many people expected his wife, Chirlane McCray, to be closely involved in the day-to-day operation of the city. So far, that hasn't been the case. Instead, McCray has focused on the issues where she has a personal connection, including education and mental health. NY Times
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ON MY RADAR
How "Flawless" became a feminist declaration New York Times
Lebanon's reality TV: Like the Kardashians only less serious NPR
See the cover of Harper Lee's "new" novel New York Times
Kelly Osbourne is considering getting the same ovary-removing surgery as Angelina Jolie Fusion
QUOTE
Decent is good. Funny is lovely. Sexy is boring.Helen Mirren, on taking fewer provocative roles.