Lynn Povich: Our Daughters, Ourselves
In today’s Huffington Post, Lynn Povich, Newsweek’s first female Senior Edtior, reflects on her time at the magazine—and ours. Excerpts:
On equality:
Were we naïve to think that our case, and the many lawsuits that women journalists brought after ours, would solve the problem? In some ways, yes. We thought it was a “pipeline” issue: that with equal access, equal pay and merit women would get ahead.
On feminism:
I now realize it’s not easy to become a feminist in a so-called post-feminist world or fight sexism when the “War of the Sexes” was declared over (in fact, it was never a war of the sexes: many men have been our biggest supporters and promoters). We were lucky to be part of an activist age, whether the cause was women’s liberation, civil rights or the anti-war movement. It’s harder today.
On the subtlety of today’s sexism:
While the most egregious sexist behavior has been outlawed in the workplace—if not enforced—you still cannot legislate attitudes. Women may have higher titles and salaries but they still may not have the power. Women now may be in the important meetings but their voices may still not be heard. And in a subjective profession like journalism—unlike billable hours and business deals—it’s easy to say that one story isn’t as good as another.
