Catalyzing

Catalyzing is the Catalyst blog, bringing together and amplifying diverse voices that share Catalyst’s mission to expand opportunities for women and business. Catalyzing reflects the wide range of opinions, ideas, and experiences of Catalyst employees, incorporating perspectives from our offices in North America, Europe, Asia, and beyond. It also features non-Catalyst industry leaders, experts, and academics committed to changing workplaces and lives. 

  • Catalyzing
    Fair Pay Now—Not in 2058

    UPDATE: Disappointing news: the Paycheck Fairness Act stalled on Capitol Hill. Below is our official statement:

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    (Original Post) What will the world look like in the next 50 years? It will be filled with helper-robots, flying cars, quantum computers—oh, and one more thing...

    November 11, 2010 by Ilene H. Lang

  • Catalyzing
    Expose the Double Bind

    The number of women in Congress has gone down in 2010 for the first time in 30 years despite a record number of women who ran for the House and Senate. Gender stereotyping is behind the decline.

    “It’s always been tougher for women to get elected in a tough economy because voters tend to think...

    November 4, 2010 by Ilene H. Lang

  • Catalyzing
    The Motherhood Debate Trap

    I’m a mother, but being a mom doesn’t mean I have some magical skills non-mothers lack. Yet the “motherhood debate” rages on—especially during the election cycle.

    “I think my experience is one of the things that sets me apart as a candidate for Governor. First of all, being a mother,...

    November 1, 2010 by Ilene H. Lang

  • Catalyzing
    Be Afraid, Very Afraid

    I was never a fan of scary movies because there are enough real scary things already out there! Below is a list of the Top Ten that my colleagues and I are scared about this Halloween. Freddy Krueger’s got nothing on these.

    The Catalyst Top Ten Halloween Fears:

    #10. That “zombie boards,”...

    October 27, 2010 by Ilene H. Lang

  • Catalyzing
    What Generation Gap?

    Are all Gen Ys hip to the latest technology? Are all baby boomers resistant to change? Of course not, these are stereotypes. But these biases can be just as damaging to an organization—and careers—as gender inequity.

    Case in point: My friend’s daughter told me the other day that her job as a...

    October 21, 2010 by Ilene H. Lang

  • Catalyzing
    C This

    The gender gap receives attention as a serious business issue as more corporate leaders adopt programs and policies to remove barriers to advancement of women. Women are being recognized as a source of talent and future leadership, and progressive business leaders are working toward a truly level...

    October 14, 2010 by Ilene H. Lang

  • Catalyzing
    Targeting Inequity in DC

    Earlier today, I testified before the Joint Economic Committee in Congress. No, Stephen Colbert was not there right along with me!

    The hearing, titled “New Evidence on the Gender Pay Gap for Women and Mothers in Management,” examined, among other topics, new findings by Catalyst on pay and...

    September 28, 2010 by Ilene H. Lang

  • Catalyzing
    C This

    Where are the women of Wall Street? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 141,000 women—roughly 2.6% of female workers in finance—left the U.S. financial industry during the past decade. The drop suggests that women bore the brunt of the layoffs in the recent recession—a finding that...

    September 21, 2010 by Ilene H. Lang

  • Catalyzing
    Context is King

    Here we go again. Sometimes news—even good news—gets blown out of proportion. That’s what’s happening now with the gender wage gap.

    Recent headlines like “What gender pay gap? Young single women making MORE money than their male peers in America's cities,” and “Workplace Salaries: At...

    September 14, 2010 by Ilene H. Lang

  • Catalyzing
    The Catalystos: Part II

    Last week, I wrote about Catalystos—guys who are not afraid to stand up against gender inequity. These men are active role models and partners in our challenge to stamp out sexist stereotypes, ingrained biases and the barriers holding women back from leadership.

    With a view to amplifying their...

    September 7, 2010 by Ilene H. Lang