Sexes

The Godmother of American Medicine

In the late 19th century, Mary Putnam Jacobi proved women could be great scientists—after a Harvard professor's discriminatory book claimed otherwise.

• Rachel Swaby
• April 8, 2015

The Odd Superstition Behind Birthmarks

Why people in several countries believe that the spots happen when pregnant women ignore their food cravings

• Olga Khazan
• April 8, 2015

Why Some Women Choose to Get Circumcised

An anthropologist discusses some common misconceptions about female genital cutting, including the idea that men force women to undergo the procedure.

• Olga Khazan
• April 8, 2015

Yes, There Really Are More Pregnant Women at the Office

In the past five decades, more and more Americans have decided to work during pregnancy. But what's being done to ensure they return after maternity leave?

• Bourree Lam
• April 8, 2015

What's in a Mane: The Reliable Magnificence of Joan Harris

The character and her coif, fierce and forced, are two of the few things about Mad Men to remain constant from season to season.

• Megan Garber
• April 7, 2015

Kale: What It Takes to Get Students to a Women’s Basketball Game

Colleges are using new, often bizarre, promotional tactics to boost attendance at unpopular sports events. Now, men’s teams—and even the pros—are resorting to incentives to lure fans.

• Serena Elavia
• April 6, 2015

Mars and Venus, in Clothes: Fashion Is Becoming More Egalitarian

The New York Times' new Men's Style section has a broader trend to report.

• Megan Garber
• April 6, 2015

Rolling Stone's Sensational Failure

If Sabrina Erdely set out to find a story that was emblematic of rape on college campuses, why did she focus on an allegation that would've been unrepresentative even if true?

• Conor Friedersdorf
• April 6, 2015

Gays, Religious Traditionalists, and the Feeling of Being Under Siege

The illusion of a shared culture can make empathy harder in the age of social media.

• Conor Friedersdorf
• April 6, 2015

The Rolling Stone Retraction

A lengthy report by the Columbia Journalism Review cites "systematic" failures in the magazine's article about alleged rape at the University of Virginia.

• Matt Schiavenza
• April 5, 2015

Is Playing Younger the Only Way for a 40-Year-Old Actress to Get on TV?

The premise of Sutton Foster's new TV Land sitcom reflects a depressing truth about Hollywood casting: It's not friendly to middle-aged women.

• David Sims
• April 1, 2015

The Misdirected Zeal of Same-Sex Marriage Converts

It is immoral to discriminate against gays—and irrational to make a religious freedom law in Indiana the focus of the gay-rights movement.

• Conor Friedersdorf
• April 1, 2015

How the Gluteus Became Maximus

Oh my God, Becky, look at this vigorous debate among scholars about the true origin of a preference among straight males for curvier backsides.

• Olga Khazan
• April 1, 2015

Where All the Frat Houses Are Coed

Some argue that gender integration in Greek life is the key to enhancing equity and eliminating sexual violence on campus. Wesleyan University has put this idea into practice.

• Margaret Barthel
• March 31, 2015

How to Make Your Company Less Sexist and Racist

Many employers who discriminate don't do so intentionally, yet few are aware of concrete steps they can take to override their subconscious biases.

• Katherine Reynolds Lewis
• March 31, 2015

No Girls Allowed: The Merits and Flaws of an All-Boys Public School

Washington, D.C., is establishing a campus targeted at the kids who struggle most: black and Latino males. But whether the plan will prove effective—and lawful—is unclear.

• Nora Biette-Timmons
• March 30, 2015

What a Jury Can and Can't Prove About Sexism In Silicon Valley

Ellen Pao's claim against top venture-capital firm Kleiner Perkins seems to have come up short, but it's brought heightened attention to gender discrimination in tech.

• David A. Graham
• March 27, 2015

Can an Abortion Be Undone?

Arizona's legislature wants doctors to offer an unproven treatment to women who regret terminating their pregnancies.

• Olga Khazan
• March 27, 2015

The Curious Case of Men and Women's Buttons

On shirts, they're on the left for the ladies and on the right for the gents. That's because of horses, babies, and Napoleon.

• Megan Garber
• March 27, 2015