13 must-read gender stories of the week

Welcome to your weekly digest of stories about how the gender gap plays out around the world — in business, health, education and politics.

Does the tech industry even deserve women? Is it womens’ fault if they choose to leave a toxic work environment? (Vice)

How to boost India’s GDP by 27%. “It’s not just a fundamentally moral cause, it is also an absolute economic no-brainer,” says Christine Lagarde. (Economic Times)

Saudi elections. So far only a handful of women have been able to register. (NPR)

Climbing the career ladder. Why calculated risk is the secret to a supercharged career. (Financial Times)

The UK’s gender pay gap, 40 years on. Women still earn 19% less than men. (The Guardian)

One veteran’s quest for a “foot that fits”. Does it have to be this hard for female veterans? (Washington Post)

Why there aren’t more women futurists. Does our vision of the future belong only to those who have not struggled? (The Atlantic)

Should aid be conditional on women’s rights? Some Afghan women’s groups say yes. (The Guardian)

The gender credit gap. Limited access to financial services continues to block women’s economic potential. (Council on Foreign Relations)

Islam: a religion of equality. Muslim women wage a peaceful campaign demanding gender equality and justice. (Time)

Gender quotas worked in Norway. Why not in the US? Gender equity in US corporations: mere lip service and good intentions? (The New Republic)

Palestine’s only female taxi driver has big plans.  Driven by women, for women. (Al Jazeera)

The women of Afghanistan’s prisons. The number of women imprisoned for “moral crimes” in Afghanistan is up 50%. (NPR)

Statistic of the Week

Women in the United States would need to work an average of 40 more days each year to earn the same as their male counterparts, according to calculations by Pew Research.

Quote of the Week

“The majority of my sisters and daughters in the Central African Republic don’t know their rights so they can’t defend them. But we who know our rights can help them. We must always help them: the battle is always to promote and protect the rights of women.”
Catherine Samba-Panza, President of Central African Republic

Author: Saadia Zahidi is a Senior Director, Head of Gender Parity and Human Capital and Constituents at the World Economic Forum

Image: An employee works in the production facility of Phonak hearing devices of Swiss hearing aid maker Sonova at the company’s headquarters in the village of Staefa east of Zurich September 5, 2012. REUTERS/Michael Buholzer