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Why do so few women become the CEOs of major corporations, despite the tremendous gains women have made in terms of academic achievement and throughout the rest of the workforce? Thats a hot topic among social scientists and other researchers, and the New York Times Susan Chira is the latest to delve into it, with an article featuring stories from women who fell just short of that elusive corporate throne. Chira sums up her findings: What their stories show is that in business, as in politics, women who aspire to power evoke far more resistance, both overt and subtle, than they expected would be the case by now.

Its important to listen to women who have had an insiders view of the workings of our countrys most powerful corporations. Sexism, both overt and subtle, may help explain the dearth of female CEOs, and the public and particularly industry leaders ought to consider how stereotypes and assumptions about the necessary qualities for a good chief executive impact hiring decisions.

Thats why its too bad that researchers and reporters ended up politicizing this discussion. Rather than letting these female executives speak for themselves, Chira tries to tie them to Hillary Clinton, suggesting that the bias they might have faced was also at the root of Clintons loss in last years election:

The parallels with politics are striking. Research in both fields, including some conducted after Mrs. Clintons loss, has shown its harder for assertive, ambitious women to be seen as likable, and easier to conclude they lack some intangible, ill-defined quality of leadership. . . .

For her part, Mrs. Clinton is writing a book and speaking out more acidly than she allowed herself on the campaign trail. Certainly, misogyny played a role in her defeat, she told a rapt, partisan crowd at the Women in the World summit in April. She described what she saw as the thought bubble among some voters for President Trump: He looks like somebody whos been president before.

The fury and revulsion aimed at Mrs. Clinton as well as the more open misogyny in some quarters in the wake of the election has led many women to question whether theyve underestimated a visceral recoil against women taking power in any arena.

Many fear they already know the answer.

This claim needlessly alienates readers who didnt support Mrs. Clintons candidacy for reasons that have nothing to do with her sex. Also, Chira undercuts her credibility: If she buys into the idea that sexism explains why Hillary Clinton lost, then I cant help but wonder if she also cherry-picked the stories of the other women profiled in her article and guilelessly bought the sexism charge when there were other, more plausible explanations for why a woman didnt become a CEO.

After all, while female politicians, including Mrs. Clinton, face unique challenges such as a press corps thats more likely to fixate on a female candidates appearance and family life than they would that of a male candidate being a woman also has tremendous advantages. In Mrs. Clintons case, the Democratic National Committee did just about everything possible short of a full-on, Soviet-style election rigging to ensure that Mrs. Clinton won her partys nomination. Why did they go to such lengths? A big part of it was the drive to shatter the glass ceiling and finally put a woman into the Oval Office. In fact, its hard to imagine that a candidate with Mrs. Clintons background and baggage would have been considered by her party if she hadnt been a woman. For all the challenges that being a woman brings, it was also Clintons biggest asset and the foundation for her campaign.

Studies of peoples attitudes about female candidates are similarly mixed. Undoubtedly, there are plenty of disadvantages, such as challenges getting financing and accessing local political networks, but other studies show that many voters have a bias for female candidates and are more likely to want to vote for a woman absent other information.

Much like the constant use of wage gap statistics that dramatically overstate the differences between the earnings of men and women in similar jobs, the reluctance to acknowledge that sexism can work both ways complicates public discussions of these issues and undermines progress. Thats a shame. We should all want to live in a society that helps everyone fulfill his or her potential, which means we should take seriously the issue of how lingering stereotypes impact the workplace, particularly at the highest levels. That requires honest discussions and resisting the instinct to blame outcomes we dont like from statistical differences between men and women to election results on sexism.

Carrie Lukas is the managing director of the Independent Womens Forum and vice president for policy of the Independent Womens Voice. This article was originally published at Acculturated.

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Sexism May Affect Women's Careers, but It's Not What Sank Hillary Clinton - National Review

Hillary Clintons very name is synonymous with the pantsuit . Her love of the two-piece has, in fact, been so documented over the years that its inspired everything from think pieces and fashion editorials to memes and Twitter handles.

And while shes worn styles made by designers from Ann Taylor Loft to Giorgio Armani, Clinton's latest favorite is the creation of two 31-year-olds, Sali Christeson and Eleanor Turner, who are at the helm of a label youve probably never heard of: Argent .

Created with professional women in mind, Argents clothes are all about making function look stylish. For instance, the brand's Crossover Blazer ($325) includes an earphone channel that lets women thread their buds or a Bluetooth wire through their blazer sleeve. The brands Staple Trouser ($228) feature a hidden credit card back pocket. And one of Argents coolest takes on the pantsuit is reversiblesolid gray on the inside and plaid on the reverse, meaning women get two options from the $378 blazer and $248 trousers.

And Clinton really does seem to love the brand's stuff, which is only available online and at Washington, D.C., San Francisco and New York City pop-up stores. They make them all in New York, and theyre not unreasonably priced," the former Secretary of State told New York magazine earlier this year."I just want to support more of these young-women-owned businesses, and I think its so sweet that they are making pantsuits!

The story of how two millennial founders started a business dedicated to dressing professional women (and professional women icons) has its roots in Silicon Valley.

PHOTO: Courtesy of Argent

Christeson, a M.B.A. who got her start in banking, was working at Cisco leading a team dedicated to the technology giants newest cloud initiative, and struggling to find clothes on the day-to-day.

I'd always been annoyed by shopping for workwear, and [looking] around was a luxury I just didnt have time for, she said. It was 2014 and a lot of studies were coming out that a womans appearance can significantly impact her career trajectory.

From there, Christeson found herself in the midst of opportunity within the roughly $200 billion U.S. apparel market.

The landscape of the workplace has changed, Christeson said. Its a more casual environment than it once was. And brands havent been evolving with the modern working day [or] with what the modern working woman looks like.

PHOTO: Courtesy of Argent.

The combination of research and a gut feeling led Christeson to realize she was onto something. That was the catalyst to quit my job, she said.

Armed with the idea to modernize workwear (goodbye Working Girl power suits , hello professional clothes women might actually get excited to wear), Christeson hooked up with Turner who'd worked for such brands as Tory Burch and J.Crew, and who also saw the unique opportunity before themespecially after doing some fieldwork.

It was horrifying to see that salespeople weren't asking you what industry you are in, they were just pulling out the same gray suit with a boot-cut theyve been selling for 30 years, Turner said.

At the core of the line, which officially launched in 2016, was the clothing item that has come to symbolize womens ascent in the workforce: the pantsuit. It felt like a reflection of the world we're living in, Turner said. Pantsuit nation, female power, boldnessits a strong statement.

PHOTO: Sali Christeson, left. Eleanor Turner, right. Courtesy of Argent.

So, what does it feel like when the patron saint of pantsuits herself, Hillary Rodham Clinton, wears your clothes, which she did while accepting an award at a Planned Parenthood gala in April?

To see her in our blazer ? Sali and I basically fell out of chairs, Turner said.

We had the opportunity to meet her at an event at San Francisco, Christeson said. We shared what we are doing with her, and we just felt like she got it and was excited. And from there she and Huma [Abedin, a longtime Clinton aide] started wearing the pieces. Its just a symbolic honor at its simplest.

PHOTO: Huma Abedin wearing Argent. Getty.

With Clinton already a brand evangelist, whats next for Argent? We want to keep evolving with women and staying plugged into their needs, Christeson said. All types of women from all different backgroundswomen in politics, the nonprofit world, financeare wearing our clothes, and our mission is resonating. We want our women to be taking on the world like a small army, whether they are presenting at a conference or fighting for a raise.

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Meet the Two Millennials Behind Hillary Clinton's Favorite New Pantsuit - Glamour

Appearing on Fox News personality Sean Hannitys program Thursday, Kellyanne Conway, a senior adviser to President Trump, pushed back against those expressing a belief that newly minted White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci had crossed a line with his comments to the New Yorker about White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus and, especially, top Trump strategist Steve Bannon. Scaramucci, Conway said, is at times given to colorful language and is passionate about the president to the extent that he might at times allow that trait to get the best of him.

Then came the pivot, a redirectional technique of which Conway has been called a master:

She was referring, of course, to Hillary Clinton, who infamously said last September that half of then-candidate Donald Trumps supporters not, as Conway alleged, half of the country could be placed into what I call the basket of deplorables for the sins of racism, sexism, homophobia and Islamophobia you name it.

At the time, Trump tweeted that he thought the remarks would cost Clinton at the Polls.

Key Words: Clinton puts half of Trump supporters into basket of deplorables

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Kellyanne Conway suggests Hillary Clinton's language is more vulgar than Anthony Scaramucci's - MarketWatch

ANALYSIS/OPINION:

Hillary Clinton, of I Shouldve Won the White House! fame, apparently isnt content to deliver 10- and 20-second talking points from her national podium about the dang Russians who worked with President Donald Trump to give him that presidential title.

Shes gotta write a book about it, too.

Thats right. Clintons new book will reportedly double down on the Russian election interference angle as well as one that rings in former FBI chief James Comey as a heavy factor in her loss, too.

She just wants to get the story out, her friends privately say.

She really believes thats why she lost, and she wants to explain why in no uncertain terms, one of her political supporters told The Hill. She wants the whole story out there from her own perspective. I think a lot of people are going to be really surprised by how much she reveals.

Well, probably not not if the book focuses, as hinted, on the Russia-Trump election collusion message, or on the Comeys a Traitor rhetoric, either. America already knows these lines. And theyre boring.

Its too bad. Clintons missing an opportunity to write something actually interesting.

The Clintons have been in politics for a long, very long time. And theyve proven time and again a willingness to wheel and deal, to use political office for personal gain and to lie about it when it benefits. That means their friend list is long so too, their enemy list. If she would only dish, her book would probably be a bombshell.

But thats not the Hillary way. Shed rather throw a pity party.

On that, even Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer says its time to bury the hatchet.

When you lose to somebody who has 40 percent popularity, you dont blame other things Comey, Russia you blame yourself, Schumer said to The Washington Post, just recently.

Clintons failure is she cant.

And on that score, her book carries a larger message.

If Clintons memoirs are heavy on the same sort of finger-pointing weve already been treated to since November, itll be the mark of political death for her. Its bad enough Clintons rhetoric shows she cant move on from her loss. Putting it in writing, for all the world to see, and in a form thats as long as a book, will prove once and for all her resiliency to bounce back from adversity has been tapped.

Shell be remembered not only for her failed political career, but also for her book-length whine about why she was screwed.

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Hillary Clinton's upcoming book: Make way for the pity party ... - Washington Times

Photo The former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, at a fund-raiser in June. What Happened, her new memoir, promises to be a candid account of what the 2016 election was like for her. Credit Patrick Semansky/Associated Press

Hillary Rodham Clinton hasnt shied away from the public stage in the months since her defeat in the 2016 election. Shes been giving speeches, sitting on panels, going to the theater, and taking selfies with supporters, and this fall, shell be publishing a book that promises to be her most personal memoir yet, according to her publisher, Simon & Schuster.

The book, titled What Happened, will offer an intimate view of what it was like for Mrs. Clinton to run as the first female presidential candidate from a major party in United States history, in an often vicious and turbulent campaign.

Ms. Clinton will explore the mistakes she made, what it was like to run against Donald J. Trump, the difficulties she has faced as a woman in politics, the role that Russian hacking played in the election, and how she recovered from the humiliating loss, according to a description of the book released by Simon & Schuster.

Most of all, though, the book will give insight into what she was thinking and feeling during one of the most dramatic campaigns in modern American history.

In the past, for reasons I try to explain, Ive often felt I had to be careful in public, like I was up on a wire without a net, Mrs. Clinton writes in the books introduction. Now Im letting my guard down.

What Happened is due out on Sept. 12.

A version of this article appears in print on July 28, 2017, on Page C2 of the New York edition with the headline: A Title and New Details From Clinton Memoir.

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New Details From Hillary Clinton's Memoir Revealed - New York Times