Category Archives: Women and Economics

Interview with Laura Strausfeld, New York Attorney Challenging the “Tampon Tax”

Bridget J. Crawford recently spoke with Laura Strausfeld of Period Equity, a non-profit organization located in New York City focused on all aspects of menstrual fairness. Ms. Strausfeld developed a key legal strategy used in the New York case that … Continue reading

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Conn College Joins the Free Tampon Movement

From Connecticut College’s The College Voice: On Nov. 2, students and administrators gathered in the lobby of Cro to celebrate the launch of free menstrual health products in select bathrooms on campus. The pilot program, spearheaded by Emma Horst-Martz ’18, … Continue reading

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Free Tampons and Pads Coming to NYU

Via the Washington Square News (here), the student newspaper at New York University: Senior Vice President for Student Affairs Marc Wais said that the university decided to convene a working group of students and staff to propose a pilot program … Continue reading

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What Happened When One NYC Pharmacy Charged Men More

Thompson Chemists in the Soho neighborhood of New York City got some attention this week when it posted signs saying “All female customers shop tax free” and “All male customers subject to a 7% man tax.” Here’s some press coverage … Continue reading

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Lipman on Anti-Poverty Relief Delivered Through the Tax Code

Francine Lipman (UNLV) blogs here at the Surly Subgroup about newly-released national and state poverty statistics. The post is a short and clear explanation of how significant anti-poverty relief is delivered through the tax code to millions of people, including … Continue reading

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California’s Tampon Tax May Soon End

From the Huffington Post (here): The same bill unanimously passed in the Assembly in early June. It now heads back to the Assembly for final approval, and then to Gov. Jerry Brown (D), whose office declined to say if he … Continue reading

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Interview with Zoe Salzman, New York Attorney Challenging the “Tampon Tax”

Bridget J. Crawford recently spoke with Zoe Salzman, Esq. of Emery Celli Brinckerhoff & Abady LLP in New York.  Ms. Salzman is representing the plaintiffs in a class action that challenges the New York “tampon tax,” the state sales tax … Continue reading

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Posted in Feminism and Economics, Women and Economics, Women's Health | 1 Comment

Interview with Dana Brooks Cooper, Florida Attorney Challenging the “Tampon Tax”

Bridget J. Crawford recently spoke with Dana Brooks Cooper, Esq. of Barret, Fasig & Brooks in Tallahassee, Florida.  Ms. Brooks is representing the plaintiff in a class action that challenges the Florida “tampon tax,” the state sales tax imposed on … Continue reading

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Aloni on the Partisan Politics of Marriage

Erez Aloni (Whittier) has an op-ed in the Guardian, Republicans Want ‘Stronger’ Marriages but are Fighting Equality Within Them.  Here is an excerpt: Even as social conservatives pontificate on preserving the sanctity of marriage and the importance of making divorce … Continue reading

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Heen, “Nondiscrimination in Insurance: The Next Chapter”

Mary Heen (Richmond) has posted to SSRN her article, Nondiscrimination in Insurance:  The Next Chapter,  49 Georgia L. Rev. 1 (2014).  Here is the abstract: For nearly 150 years, American insurance companies have engaged in race and gender pricing practices … Continue reading

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A Swedish Perspective on Surrogacy and Commerce in Women’s Bodies

The Swedish Women’s Lobby makes its views on surrogacy known in Surrogacy: A Global Trade in Women’s Bodies, over at mercatonet.com.  Here is an excerpt: The Swedish Women’s Lobby strongly opposes surrogate motherhood. Our position is that surrogacy is a … Continue reading

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Two Recent Works by Michele Gilman

Michele Gilman (Baltimore) has published two recent pieces that may be of interest to blog readers: Michele Gilman, Feminism, Democracy, and the “War on Women,” 32 J. of Law & Inequality 1 (2014). This article analyzes the social conservative attacks … Continue reading

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Gilman on “The Class Differential in Privacy Law” and “The Poverty Defense”

Michele Gilman (Baltimore) has posted two articles to SSRN.  The Class Differential in Privacy Law, 77 Brooklyn L. Rev. 1389 (2012) This article analyzes how privacy law fails the poor. Due to advanced technologies, all Americans are facing corporate and … Continue reading

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African Probate & Prolicy Initiative at U Miami School of Law

The ABA Journal reported here on the University of Miami School of Law’s new African Probate & Policy Initiative.  Here’s an excerpt: If a Tanzanian man dies without a will, his property goes to his family of origin. If he … Continue reading

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“Why Are There So Few Female Plutocrats?”

That is a question asked in this column that also serves as its title, which is a teaser for a book by the same name: Not too many people talk about the absence of women at the very top. That’s … Continue reading

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To test scientist’s reactions to men and women with precisely equal qualifications, the researchers did a randomized double-blind study in which academic scientists were given application materials from a student applying for a lab manager position. The substance of the applications were all identical, but sometimes a male name was attached, and sometimes a female name. Results: female applicants were rated lower than men on the measured scales of competence, hireability, and mentoring (whether the scientist would be willing to mentor this student). Both male and female scientists rated the female applicants lower.

From Discover, where Sean Carroll writes: Nobody who is familiar with the literature on this will be surprised, but it’s good to accumulate new evidence and also to keep the issue in the public eye: academic scientists are, on average, … Continue reading

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Posted in Academia, Employment Discrimination, Feminism and Science, Women and Economics | Comments Off on To test scientist’s reactions to men and women with precisely equal qualifications, the researchers did a randomized double-blind study in which academic scientists were given application materials from a student applying for a lab manager position. The substance of the applications were all identical, but sometimes a male name was attached, and sometimes a female name. Results: female applicants were rated lower than men on the measured scales of competence, hireability, and mentoring (whether the scientist would be willing to mentor this student). Both male and female scientists rated the female applicants lower.

“A planned European Union law to impose sanctions on companies that do not allocate at least 40 percent of the seats on their boards to women has drawn enough opposition from Britain and other countries to risk being blocked before it is officially proposed.”

That is the first sentence of this NYT article.

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Posted in Activism, Feminism and Economics, Feminism and the Workplace, The Overrepresentation of Men, The Underrepresentation of Women, Women and Economics | Comments Off on “A planned European Union law to impose sanctions on companies that do not allocate at least 40 percent of the seats on their boards to women has drawn enough opposition from Britain and other countries to risk being blocked before it is officially proposed.”

Another Day, Another Fear Mongering Article About Women Taking Over In Slate

This time it’s “Breadwinner Wives.” According to author Hanna Rosin “About 40 percent of wives in the United States now out-earn their husbands, and researcher Liza Mundy predicts they will be the majority in a generation.” I’m interested in where … Continue reading

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Cahn & Carbone on What Happens When You Can’t Afford Your Children?

Over at AlterNet.org, Naomi Cahn and June Carbone ask, “What Happens When You Can’t Afford Your Children?” Helping highly educated women have it all is a hot topic, from Anne-Marie Slaughter’s Atlantic article, to Amy Chua’s book about Chinese child-rearing … Continue reading

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Alimony Should Be Gender-Neutral

Marriage has been showing up in headlines across the country, from new stories trumpeting Obama’s statement of support for marriage equality to those debating the First Circuit’s judicial blow to DOMA. While shifts in access to legal marriage and the economic … Continue reading

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“Mating, Spending and the Lipstick Effect”

“Boosting Beauty in an Economic Decline: Mating, Spending and the Lipstick Effect” is the title of a paper forthcoming in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology by Sarah E. Hill and Christopher D. Rodeheffer (Psychology, Texas Christian University), Vladas … Continue reading

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Heen on “From Coverture to Contract: Engendering Insurance”

Mary Heen (Richmond) has posted to SSRN her article From Coverture to Contract: Engendering Insurance, 23 Yale J. of Law & Feminism 335 (2011).  Here is the abstract: In the 1840s, state legislatures began modifying the law of marital status … Continue reading

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Egg Donor Motivation: Sacrificing Truth for Profit?

Over at Jezebel, Jenna Marotta asks (here), “Do Egg Donors Lie?” Ms. Marotta was rejected as an egg donor about her experience because she admitted to having a family history of depression.  She wonders whether other women lie about mental … Continue reading

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Women, Power, and Development

From the Asia Sentinel, this article:  Do Women in Power Act Differently From Men?  Here an excerpt: Several studies of women’s involvement in environmental protection cited below seem to indicate that they do – marginally. How that plays itself out … Continue reading

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Posted in Feminism and Politics, Feminism and the Workplace, Sisters In Other Nations, The Underrepresentation of Women, Women and Economics | Comments Off on Women, Power, and Development

Poverty and Single Mothers

Legal Momentum has released a new report, Single Mother Poverty in the United States in 2010.  Here is a summary: The large gender poverty gap that has persisted since poverty measurement began continued in 2010.  Adult women were twenty nine … Continue reading

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Number of Women in Extreme Poverty Increases

From the National Women’s Law Center, this synopsis of some of the most recent census data: Poverty among women – already much higher than poverty among men – climbed to 14.5 percent in 2010, the highest rate in 17 years. A 14.5 percent poverty … Continue reading

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Wealth Disparities by Race

Today the Pew Research Center released its report, “Wealth Gaps Rise to Record Highs Between Whites, Blacks and Hispanics.”  Here’s the summary: The median wealth of white households is 20 times that of black households and 18 times that of … Continue reading

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Conference Announcement, “Gender, Sexuality and Poverty,” March 31, 2012, Gettysburg College

From Temma Berg (English, Gettysburg College), this “Save the Date” notice: Saturday, March 31, 2012 2012 Annual Women’s Studies Conference sponsored by the Central Pennsylvania Consortium and the Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies Programs of Dickinson College, Gettysburg College, and … Continue reading

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Posted in From the FLP mailbox, LGBT Rights, The Overrepresentation of Women, Upcoming Conferences, Women and Economics | 3 Comments

A Woman’s Work at Home Doesn’t “Count” for Bankruptcy Purposes

The Supreme Judicial Court in Massachusetts has ruled that a woman whose work is “only” at home — meaning caring for minor children and running the household — has no property right in one-half of a federal tax refund, at … Continue reading

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Do Unions Help Women Faculty?

Ann Mari May, Elizabeth Moorhouse, and Jennifer A. Bossard have published Representation of Women Faculty at Public Research Universities: Do Unions Matter? in volume 63 of the Industrial and Labor Relations Review (2010). Here is the abstract. The authors investigate the … Continue reading

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Posted in Academia, Employment Discrimination, Feminism and Economics, Feminism and Law, Feminism and the Workplace, Feminists in Academia, Women and Economics | 1 Comment

CFP: “Uniform Probate Code: Remaking American Succession Law”

From the FLP mailbox: Call for Papers The Uniform Probate Code: Remaking of American Succession Law October 21, 2011 The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel’s Legal Education Committee is organizing the fourth in a series of academic symposia … Continue reading

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Posted in Call for Papers or Participation, Feminism and Families, Feminism and Law, Women and Economics | 1 Comment

Mumford on “Tax Policy, Women and the Law”

Ann Mumford (Queen Mary, University of London) has published Tax Policy, Women and the Law with Cambridge University Press.  Here is the publisher’s abstract: Tax policy frequently targets the choices that women face in many aspects of their lives. Decisions regarding working … Continue reading

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Posted in Feminist Legal Scholarship, Recommended Books, Sisters In Other Nations, Women and Economics | 1 Comment

Siobhan Brooks, Unequal Desires: Race and Erotic Capital in the Stripping Industry

In this morning’s panel at the “After Gender” Symposium, Adrienne Davis (Wash. U. St. Louis) mentioned an interesting new book — Siobhan Brooks, Unequal Desires: Race and Erotic Capital in the Stripping Industry (SUNY Press 2010).  Here is the description … Continue reading

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Posted in Race and Racism, Recommended Books, Women and Economics | 1 Comment

Live Blogging “After Gender? Examining International Justice Enterprises”

I’m attending the Pace Law Review Symposium “After Gender? Examining International Justice Enterprises.”  The symposium’s goal is “to expand our understanding of the role of gender in international law.” So far, there have been opening remarks by conference organizers Matthew … Continue reading

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Posted in Feminism and Law, Feminist Legal Scholarship, Law Schools, LGBT Rights, Upcoming Conferences, Women and Economics | 1 Comment

Lipman and Williamson’s “Social Security Spouse and Survivor Benefits 101”

Francine Lipman (Chapman) and James Williamson (San Diego State, College of Business  Administration) have posted to SSRN their article, Social Security Spouse and Survivor Benefits 101: Practical Primer Part II (Or Another Reason to Put a Ring on It.  Here … Continue reading

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Gerzog on “More QTIP Mischief”

If it weren’t for Wendy Gerzog (Baltimore), I don’t think I would have figured out a way to combine my interests in three subject matters — taxation; wills, trusts and estates; and feminist theory.  Her 1993 article The Marital QTIP … Continue reading

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Cohen and Chen on “Trading-Off Reproductive Technology and Adoption”

I. Glenn Cohen (Harvard) and Daniel L. Chen (Duke) have posted to SSRN their article, Trading-Off Reproductive Technology and Adoption: Does Subsidizing in Vitro Fertilization Decrease Adoption Rates and Should it Matter? forthcoming in the Minnesota Law Review.  Here is the abstract: For … Continue reading

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When the Tax Man is a Transgender Woman

The New York Times home page features the video above (source here) about tax non-compliance in Pakistan.  The "hook" of the story is the use of transgendered women to collect taxes in a particular area Pakistan.  The use of these … Continue reading

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Women and Investing

In response to the special financial challenges faced by women (live longer; earn less; take breaks from workplace) and recent research identifying characteristics of women that generally make them different investors with lower risk tolerances than men, a need has … Continue reading

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Posted in Women and Economics | 1 Comment

Latoya Peterson originally wanted to title the post: “All The Women Are Still White, All The Blacks Are Still Men, But Some Of Us Are Tired of Being Brave and Want to Kick Someone’s Ass.”

Read it here. Peterson co-authored it with Thea Lim and there is a lot there to think about, that really needs to be thought about. –Ann Bartow

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Posted in Feminism and the Workplace, Race and Racism, Sociolinguistics, Women and Economics | Comments Off on Latoya Peterson originally wanted to title the post: “All The Women Are Still White, All The Blacks Are Still Men, But Some Of Us Are Tired of Being Brave and Want to Kick Someone’s Ass.”

You Won THAT in a Raffle?

First prize in a UK raffle is a human egg. This “raffle” is part of a repulsive publicity ploy by the U.S.-based Genetics & IVF Institute (which bills itself as “the world’s largest, fully integrated, specialized provider of infertility and … Continue reading

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The Courage of Her Evictions (Or, Working on a Night Move)

A recent  New York Times article on eviction and low-income black women offered the following: “New research is showing that eviction is a particular burden on low-income black women, often single mothers, who have an easier time renting apartments than … Continue reading

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Krawiec on “A Woman’s Worth”

Feminist Law Prof Kim Krawiec (Duke) has posted to SSRN a draft of her working paper, “A Woman’s Worth.” Here is the abstract: This Article examines three traditionally”taboo trades”: (1) the sale of sex, (2) compensated egg donation, and (3) … Continue reading

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Lap Dances for Haiti?

From the Toledo (Ohio) Blade: Scantily clad dancers were the draw at a downtown men’s entertainment club over the weekend for an event that raised nearly $1,000 for victims of the earthquake in Haiti. * * *  Although the billing … Continue reading

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Homo Economicus and Fem Eticus ?

Yuval Feldman and I have been studying the behavior of individuals in the face of organizational corruption and misconduct. In our recent article, we report on a series of experiments looking at the effect of incentives on the decision to … Continue reading

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June Carbone, “Inequality Starts At Home”

As part of the Roosevelt Institute’s ongoing ‘Feminomics’ series, running on the New Deal 2.0 blog,   June Carbone was asked to reflect on women’s changing roles in the economy. Her essay is available here and was also featured on … Continue reading

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Posted in Feminism and Economics, Feminism and Families, Women and Economics | 3 Comments

“The Couch of Restitution” (Or, The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea vs. The Devil in Miss Jones)

In a previous blog (feels like ages ago:I really must get out from under this blizzard of work!) I discussed the alienation of various aspects of human capacities and attributes, among them the sale of sexual services and the sale … Continue reading

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Vani K. Borooah, Quy Toan Do, Sriya Iyer, and Shareen Joshi – “Missing Women and India’s Religious Demography”

Abstract: The authors use recent data from the 2006 National Family Health Survey of India to explore the relationship between religion and demographic behavior. They find that fertility and mortality vary not only between religious groups, but also across caste … Continue reading

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Unemployment in Female-Headed Households

From our friends at the National Women’s Law Center, this news about the extension of unemployment of insurance benefits, signed into law today: Unemployment rose to 10.2 percent in October, reaching a 26-year high, according to data released today by … Continue reading

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Posted in Women and Economics | 3 Comments

When Invisible, Addicted and Ill Women Disappear: A Cry for Cleveland

I grew up 2-1/2 miles from the place in Cleveland, Ohio where the police found the decomposing bodies of 11 women.  The victims whose bodies have been identified so far are Nancy Cobbs, Tishana Culver, Telacia Fortson and Tonia Carmichael. … Continue reading

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Posted in Acts of Violence, Race and Racism, Women and Economics | 4 Comments