The Wall Street Journal has a fascinating look at sexual harassment in China’s tech industry that is—rather shockingly—more blatant than the abuse women often face in Silicon Valley.
China has laws against sexual harassment and gender discrimination but they generally aren’t enforced. Some job ads state, flat out, that no women need apply. And the idea of men’s genetic superiority at tech jobs—as suggested by the now-fired Google engineer last week—is widespread.
In describing her personal experience to the Journal, entrepreneur Wang Yijie, co-founder of security startup Cloudfort Inc., said that investors regularly quiz her on whether her husband approves of her starting a business and how she balances work and home life. A few have told her explicitly that they don’t invest in companies founded by women.
There are some bright, promising spots. For instance, Jean Liu, president of ride-hailing company Didi Chuxing (and No. 36 on Fortune‘s Most Powerful Women International list last year) launched a women’s initiative to train future leaders at the company. Yet Didi was one of the companies with men-only job ads. It recently advertised two web engineering jobs and a customer-operations role with a stated preference for men, proving—as we well know—that it will take more than having women at the top to erase such an ingrained culture.
EUROPE/MIDDLE EAST/AFRICA
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| Telling her story |
| Brigitte Macron is on the cover of French Elle's September issue and gave the mag her first interview since becoming first lady. She talked to Elle about her new role and her marriage, including the 25 year age difference. "Emmanuel's only fault, perhaps, is that he is younger than me," she said. “When I read about us, I always get the impression that I’m reading someone else’s story,” she continued. “Our story is so simple…If I hadn’t chosen this, I would have missed out on my life.” |
| Hollywood Reporter |
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| In the red |
| And now for your latest Grace Mugabe update: South African police have issued a "red alert" on its borders to keep the Zimbabwe first lady from leaving the country where she's being accused of assaulting a model. Mugabe was supposed to turn herself in earlier this week, but failed to show up and now her whereabouts are unknown to authorities. |
| Guardian |
THE AMERICAS
| From surrogate to single mom |
| The Atlantic has the tale of A.J. Delgado, a prominent spokesperson for Donald Trump during his campaign, and what happened to her when she became pregnant with another Trump aide's baby. "It’s the story of a woman with working-class roots navigating a world dominated by rich and powerful men," writes McKay Coppins. |
| Atlantic |
| . |
| Craving authenticity |
| Chicago has the second-largest population of Mexican immigrants in the United States, yet its food scene is scant on restaurants run by proprietors of Mexican descent. Enter Diana Davila, chef-owner of Mi Tocaya Antojería, which was named to Bon Appetite's 50 Best New Restaurants list this year. “I’m not interested in making crowd-pleasing Americanized Mexican food,” she said. Rather, she's cooking dishes that have been passed down through her family and remind her of childhood summers spent in La Huasteca. |
| Bon Appetite |
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| On the run |
| Former Venezuelan Attorney General Luisa Ortega has been on the run since President Nicolas Maduro fired her for denouncing the country's slide into authoritarianism. Ortega said Wednesday that the intelligence police raided her Caracas residence in retaliation. The news came right after her replacement as AG, Tarek William Saab, said he'd seek an arrest warrant for Ortega's husband, a congressman, for allegedly running an extortion ring. |
| Wall Street Journal |
ASIA-PACIFIC
| Dressed down |
| Australian far-right Senator Pauline Hanson donned a burqa in parliament yesterday in her bid to ban the full-body garment worn by some Muslim women. The stunt drew a sharp rebuke from Attorney General George Brandis that is worth reading in full. |
| Fortune |
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| Challenged to a dual |
| Meanwhile, Australian Senator Fiona Nash told parliament that she may be a dual U.K. citizen—a status that would bar her from serving in parliament. She's the latest in a string of politicians to make such an admission. As BuzzFeed put it: "A Sixth Australian Politician Might Be A Dual Citizen And This Is Getting Ridiculous Now." |
| Buzzfeed |
IN BRIEF
| Jennifer Lawrence was just dethroned as the world's highest-paid actress |
| Money |
| How a Miami bankruptcy lawyer bailed out hundreds of brides |
| Wall Street Journal |
| Bonnie Tyler will sing ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ during the actual eclipse |
| Time |
| Meet Gwynne Shotwell, the woman who could take us to Mars |
| Marie Claire |
PARTING WORDS
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| —April Reign, creator of the #OscarsSoWhite campaign, who's now targeting HBO. |
