D.C.’s Battle for Paid Family Leave
City-council members in the nation’s capital are preparing for a final vote on what could be the most expansive parental-leave law in the United States.
Economy
The Sexism They Faced
One colleague’s constant refrain: “When are you going to have babies and quit?”
Beyond Maternity Leave
For all the focus on parental leave as a barrier to women’s professional ascent, women’s real struggle with work-parenting balance grew—alongside their children—years after their maternity leave ended.
How Much Ambition Can a Marriage Sustain?
Power couples are a rarity. Instead, many high-achieving women have husbands who do their own opting out.
Rethinking What Success Looks Like
For women who left the workforce, their ambitions didn’t disappear so much as found a new target.
When Women Choose Children Over a Career
“I went to a job interview after my first daughter was born and cried the whole way home.”
Having It All—and Hating It
Some women prioritize career. Others prioritize their kids. It's those who try to juggle both who often feel they aren’t succeeding at either.
What Happens to Women's Ambitions in the Years After College
When we graduated in 1993, my friends and I had big dreams for ourselves. More than two decades later I decided to find out if anyone’s had come true.
The Ambition Interviews: A Table of Contents
Seven stories about women who were all set to rule the world—and how their careers shook out
Will the Minimum Wage Debate Ever Be Settled?
States are implementing new laws about worker pay. That will provide plenty of research fodder for economists who can’t seem to agree on whether raises are good or bad for workers.