The New York Times (NYT) op-ed page released on November 6, 2025, a transcript of a podcast episode entitled “Did Women Ruin the Workplace?”
You can probably imagine how well that title went, because very soon after (presumably due to the heightened backlash online), the article was reportedly renamed twice: once to “Have ‘Feminine Vices’ Taken Over the Workplace” and then settling on “Did Liberal Feminism Ruin the Workplace?” Each renaming softened the inflammatory nature of the title, but the body and overall message of the piece remained the same.
In this piece, two conservative authors, Helen Andrews and Leah Libresco Sargeant, are brought on to discuss the effects that feminism has had on the workplace. Specific and cherry picked references to the #MeToo movement, DEI initiatives, and Title IX kangaroo courts for college sexual assault cases are made. In this regard, the progress that the feminist movement has made in the last decade or so towards creating a more equal society is condensed into the term “wokeness.” This word is then villanized repeatedly in this piece, being touted as something that has undermined the credibility of the modern workplace.
Andrews then suggests that, in addition to “wokeness”, it is the “feminization” of the modern workplace that has set us back. Vices that are “inherently feminine,” such as gossiping, an inability to deal with conflict adequately, and an aversion to directness, are ruining the workplace, because they detract from the ostensibly masculine virtues that encompass competition, confrontation, risk taking, and truth seeking. According to Andrews, it is these masculine virtues that ensure success in work related endeavours.
The issue here isn’t the increasingly “woke” nature of society, nor is it the “feminization” of the workplace, as Andrews describes these ideas. The real issue here is that the entire foundation of the argument that Andrews attempts to make is based on a misunderstanding of what the feminist movement actually is. Right off the bat, this piece claims that a major fault with the definition of feminism is the denial that there are differences between men and women.
There is no doubt that men and women are different. There isn’t a feminist out there trying to deny this fact. What people are still intent on denying is rights and basic respect based solely on what gender you identify as. This is the insidious nature of this NYT article’s attitude towards women and feminist advances in the workplace. It’s chauvinism, in plain sight.
Andrews seems to have an extremely antiquated view of gender roles that fuels her opinions, which can clearly be seen in her explanations of feminine and masculine values. Perhaps the most egregious example of her archaic views is when she suggests that a good employer is one that automatically encourages their women employees to choose a career track that allows for them to shift part time so that they can pursue their true purpose in life: child rearing. Not only is this an admonishingly traditional point of view, but it is also wildly exclusionary. Is there anything to a woman’s value besides their ability to procreate? Andrews sure doesn’t seem to think so. It also completely disregards the experience of the trans woman, or of women who choose not to or are unable to conceive.
The title of the piece itself feels like a slight towards not just to the feminist movement, but also towards women. Writing for Ms. Magazine, feminist activist Jodi Bondi Norgaard spoke to this point, saying, “Women are not the problem. Feminism is not the problem. The problem is a culture still too comfortable questioning women’s legitimacy, ambition and anger.”
Reading this piece that the NYT made a conscious decision to publish made me feel a mix of two big emotions.
First, there was anger. Lots of it. As someone who went through the rigorous UW co-op cycle to get to where I am today, it angered me that the integrity of a movement that has implemented changes to make the workplace safer for me was being questioned. Norgaard quite succinctly describes the reality of this NYT article by calling it “a polished repackaging of old patriarchal ideas dressed up as intellectual debate,” and I would have to agree with her.
The second emotion I felt was fear, more than I had anticipated. Yes, this article is shocking. But what’s more shocking is that it was even published in the first place by such a well established organization. It is getting harder and harder to deny that women’s rights are under attack in so many places. The U.S., being the world’s largest aid donor, drastically cut back international aid and labour grants, which were going towards supporting issues such as gender equity, women’s participation in the international workforce, and combatting the human trafficking industry, which inordinately affects women and girls. Since 2022, the UN reported that cases of conflict related to sexual violence has risen over 50 per cent, with women and girls suffering from approximately 95 percent of these crimes. Reproductive rights are under attack, with countries such as Nicaragua, Poland, and the U.S., backtracking on the legality of issuing abortions in the past two decades. Women in Iran currently face punishments such as fines, imprisonment, and flogging for violating hijab rules. Women in Afghanistan can’t even visit their birth families without their husband’s permission, risking a three-month imprisonment period if caught doing so.
All of this makes me more fearful of the future than I ever thought possible. But amidst the darkness, I think it is important to remember that there are beacons of light, right here in the KW region.
At UW, there are numerous organizations that are doing great work to uplift women in the workplace. Women in Engineering (WiE) is an engineering focused club on campus that works to host events and initiatives to uplift women, not only in the professional space. They’ve hosted events like career fairs, annual hackathons, and socials to make engineering as a whole more accessible to women. They’ve also partnered with external organizations such as National Society of Black Engineers and EngiQueers to create space for these marginalized groups in a professional engineering setting.
WiE also has an extensive mentorship program geared towards supporting lower year women students, by matching them with upper years to guide them through the challenges of university and the rigorous co-op program. “Mentees have told me that they really look up to their mentors. Seeing someone who was in their shoes achieve so much is inspiring for them,” says a WiE committee member when asked about the lasting effects of the program.
UWaterloo Women in Finance (WIF) is another similar organization on campus that does similar work, except in the field of finance. WIF holds regular networking sessions, resume and mock interview sessions, and a mentorship program, all geared towards connecting students and creating a women-centered space for women students to explore a career in finance and accounting. Speaking to the club’s co-presidents Samiya Nanthakumar and Bonita Shao about the effects of their work through WIF, Nanthakumar says, “I think in a sense, our work is really important to the younger students and girls who may feel intimidated or out of place in the world of finance. I feel like our work really shines a light on what finance is in general”. Shao adds, “It’s important to speak to other women in your field, because they’ll be able to give you a glimpse into what that field is like. You’re just as qualified as anyone to be here”.
Going beyond UW campus, there are multiple women-led advocacy groups in the KW region that are doing commendable work surrounding gender based issues. Zonta KW, LEAF Kitchener, and YWCA’s The Feminist Shift are only three of many such groups in the region.
So while the NYT runs baseless and pointless pieces wondering whether or not women really have ruined the workplace, I want to stress that it is important to remember that women and all of our supposed “vices” have not in fact ruined anything. There’s people everywhere working tirelessly to uplift and encourage women and other marginalized groups in the workplace. In the end, what the feminist movement is doing is trying to achieve a more equitable, accommodating, and rewarding workplace and world for everyone who enters it.
Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that women in Iran face punishments —including fines, imprisonment, flogging, and death — for unveiling, driving, and enrolling in university. In actuality, women in Iran may face fines, imprisonment, and flogging for violating compulsory hijab laws. Imprint regrets the error.
