The Authority Gap: Why women are still taken less seriously than men, and what we can do about it

If females appreciate the backing this book gives to what they often knew already, there was more novelty for this male reader. I was left not only seething but cringing. There is far too much presented to be brushed aside, and this is achieved in two complementary ways. The first is frequent (but light-touch) citation to academic research. The second is first-hand testimony from dozens of women, some very famous, mostly from interviews specifically for the book. This makes for reading that is lively and vivid at every stage, while also being closely argued and laced with references than can be followed up -- academic, journalistic, etc. In a crowded field, the most shocking chapter is the penultimate, which samples the violent sexual threats directed at those who 'dare to have an opinion and a vagina.' Even if such stuff is the work of troubled souls fringe to society, the same can't be said, a few pages on, for how "the radicalization of teenage boys, which started only in the late 2010s," is becoming mainstream in many schools. Reference here isn't to Islamic extremism, as is already monitored, but to online channels "breeding in boys a dehumanization of their female peers." High time this was picked up on. One could nitpick, but overall this is a book both substantial and easy to read. If you have chosen to do so and are male, then you may not be the type who most needs to. Even if that's so, you will surely discover the 'authority gap' remains worse, with more you should be calling out, than ever imagined. And actually that aspects of social media may be pushing back the clock.

Anybody who wants to understand just why women continue to be taken less seriously than men, in spite of decades of feminism and women making huge strides in public life, must read this book. It is a cool, measured analysis of why women's voices and opinions continue to carry less authority than men's, even today when a woman prime minister or head of state is no longer such an oddity. All the arguments are backed up by impeccable and impressive research, along with testimonies from leading women in their fields. I was also pleased that the author includes a chapter on trans people, who have had direct experience of living both as men and as women. Their stories are perhaps the most telling of all. Although a weighty tome in more ways than one, this book is also an easy, pleasurable read, and makes a huge contribution to one of the most important issues of our time. Very highly recommended.

I think this should be required reading for all. In addition it could focus more on domestic issues, and have more chapters dedicated to what can be done.

The book is great! I am writing my dissertation on feminism and gender mainstreaming. This book helped me to understand the situation with female leadership. Most of all I like the narrative about unconscious bias which goes as a golden treat along the whole book! Thank you, Mary Ann Sieghart for this work and people who delivered the book within one day.

I am a white, middle class, educated male who would have probably dismissed Mary Ann Sieghart's proposition, had she told me about it before writing this book, as somewhat paranoid, exaggerated ... surely our generation has moved on from the era of prejudice against women, undervaluing them? Her disturbing but very valuable book has shown me that much of the problem is cultural-historical. Our behaviour seldom derives from an objective analysis of our own ingrained attitudes; how can it?. We grow up influenced by behaviour and received opinions which we do not stop to analyse. Why would we? This book tells us why we should, with a mass of fascinating detail derived from a year or more of research (I have never seen such a long bibliography, and I used to be a publisher) and interviews with an astonishing range of influential and successful women. In my publishing days I might have tried to reduce a little some of the lists of quotations but they are all telling, and do add to the argument. Her advice on how we can change things should probably be included in the national curriculum.

Mary Ann Sieghart's book should be compulsory reading in all organisations, schools, etc. Reading it, I have had the sense, through every chapter, that someone finally understood me. Mary Ann says it as it is, and some chapters are so shocking, you need a rest between them to pause and reflect. This is an awesome book that provides concrete ideas to break the issue of the authority gap.

It lost 1 star as the writing was so small - and i'm 40 + so maybe increase the price and make text bigger

Bought for a friend and for my male partner , all of us in our 50’s and we all can recognise the experiences and information in this book and OMG does it boil the blood!

I originally purchased this book on Audible but loved it so much I bought a hard copy to read again and make notes in. Every antidote you may have heard about how women are slighted in the work force is captured by the author and backed by data and studies. I appreciate the time the author put into the research for this project.

Acho que foi umas das minhas melhores leituras de 2025. Infelizmente, não é um livro tão conhecido. Toca em temas que mulheres vivenciam diariamente na sociedade, no mercado de trabalho, nos lares - e ainda traz os dados que confirmam que a sensação de desvalorização não é uma mera sensação, mas uma leitura acurada da realidade. Só queria que todo mundo lesse esse livro.

Llegó en un estado perfecto.

A must read for men women, opens your eyes to our current unfortunate reality

Libro scritto molto bene da una giornalista del Times (una giornalista vera non la bloggara di turno senza arte ne' parte). Fornisce una ricerca molto esaustiva con esempi di discriminazione di genere in diversi campi, dalla politica alla vita di business. Interessante il capitolo sulle autrici donne che non vengono lette dalla maggioranza degli uomini (molti uomini considerando autrici donne come invisibili e senza aver letto un libro neanche per sbaglio, bollano le opere letterarie come 'da donne' - vedi inferiori per qualita' e contenuti). Tanto che alcune donne hanno pubblicato libri con pseudonimi maschili o con le sole iniziali del nome. Siamo nel 2021 e la situazione e' ancora deprimente. L'autrice porta esempi pratici e interviste a donne prominenti che sono state soggette di discrimianzioni: ad esempio la Prima Ministra irlandese che e' stata ignorata e snobbata da un giornalista italiano (ma pensa un po'!) perche' donna per un'intervista. Ci sono interviste a donne provenienti da ogni parte del mondo, quindi ha una portata globale. La situazione e' ovunque molto scoraggiante. Ci sono spiragli nei paesi del nord europa. Ma le nuove generazioni sono diverse, piu; progressiste? Non necessariamente. L'autrice riporta esempi di come ragazzini vengano sin da piccoli "educati" alla misoginia e come i genitori (seppur non consciamente) trattino figlie e figli in modo diverso, essendo molto piu; permissivi con i maschi e restrittivi e critici con le figlie femmine. Anche la scuola non e; da meno: le bambine devono stare zitte e buone, mentre i bambini possono prendersi tutto lo spazio che vogliono, ottengono feedback e riconoscimento per le loro bravate. Ho dovuto leggerlo a pezzettini in quanto mi ha fatto venire l'acidità di stomaco: le donne non vengono ben viste se sono troppo assertive ma neanche troppo poco, se sono troppo in gamba gli gioca contro. Insomma, essere se' stesse non paga. Interessante il capitolo sui transgender che riporta esperienze di donne che hanno fatto un percorso di transizione al genere maschile e che tutto d'un tratto sono andate da una posizione di svantaggio e che per stesse ideee che quando identificate come donne erano totalmente ignorante orate, una volta identificate come uomini venivano osannate. Da uomini hanno visto la loro carriera fiorire. Mentre gli uomini che hanno fatto un percorso di transizione alo genere femminile hanno visto la loro carriera scomparire. Solo per il fatto di essere identificate come donne. Il messaggio fondamentale dell'autrice e' che il progresso delle donne non e' a detrimento degli uomini, anzi. Tutti ne possiamo trarre benefici. C'e' un capitolo dedicato agli uomini che mostra i benefici effettivi di u na partita' di genere. L'utlimo capito lo del libro cerca di fornire delle soluzioni al gap di autorità, ma a volte sono un po' ingenue in quanto presuppongono un'apertura mentale che spesso in società' patriarcali e retrograda da questo punto di vista come quella italiana sono di una piccolissima minoranza di uomini e donne. Libro consigliassimo, uno dei migliori che ho letto sulla discriminazione di genere. Molto ironica la citazione di una delle donne intervistate "ci sarà parità di genere quando le donne mediocri verranno promosse al pari di uomini mediocri".