Of working women, handbags and cosmetics

A response to readers on the New York Times' Style piece about women and business.

Published November 3, 2007 11:57AM (EDT)

A reader responded to a post I wrote earlier this week by pointing out that the subject of my post, Lisa Belkin's New York Times article about the difficulties women face in earning the same respect and pay as their male counterparts, was one of her "Life's Work" columns, which regularly appear in the Style & Fashion section. I can't help feeling that this smart and often well-reported life-at-work column has been tucked away in the Style section, as opposed to the Business section, because it's seen as the silly musings of a silly woman about silly workplace issues. (Keep in mind, too, that Belkin writes about all manner of business concerns -- not just those of women.)

Why is it that an article about the difficulties of rising to the top as a black executive makes it to the business page -- as happened this week -- but a reported piece about the difficulties of earning respect as a woman in the business world is sandwiched between talk of handbags and cosmetics?

Below, in our first-ever video blog, I respond to another reader comment. You've been asking for interactivity with Broadsheet writers for some time, now you have it.


By Tracy Clark-Flory

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