The Issues that Mattered Most to Women in Government This Year

2017 has been a banner year for women in the workforce, especially in government. Here are a few highlights: Women marched on Washington. Sen. Kamala Harris stood up for her right to ask questions. Multiple women won historic victories in state, local and national elections. Nevertheless, Sen. Elizabeth Warren persisted. And many women came out to share their stories in the #MeToo viral campaign. It’s no surprise that feminism is the word of the year.

Of course, many of these occurrences were the result of negative catalysts. A scan of the news and certain twitter feeds showed that sexism, sexual harrassment, and discrimination are still alive and well. We have a long way to go to achieve equality in the workplace. That’s why GovFem exists, and why we’ve been covering these issues all year.

What were the most useful articles and op-eds for women in government? We surveyed our data to discern the most-read GovFem articles of 2017. They were:

4 Ways to Deal with Offensive Coworkers Unfortunately, sexist remarks aren’t limited to Twitter feuds. That’s why our most popular article of the year offered tactics to deal with offensive coworkers in a productive way.

How to Make Job Descriptions Women-Friendly Women can’t get a seat at the table if they’re not even in the office. That’s why it’s critical to get women in the door at agencies, and why this article about writing job descriptions that appeal to women was so popular this year.

3 Tips to Be More Assertive Looking to take a page out of Kamala Harris’ playbook, several readers wanted tips to be more assertive without feeling uncomfortable or, worse, getting the dreaded “b-word” moniker.

How to Execute the Perfect Coffee Meeting Women are stronger together. But how do you make meaningful connections and keep them? This popular article gives a rundown on setting up the perfect coffee meeting to find your next mentor or peer.

15 Quotes for Women in Government Sometimes you just need a little motivation and inspiration to keep fighting the good fight. And who better to offer professional advice than trailblazing women in government? This list has 15 pick-me-ups.

Tips for Navigating the Office Dress Code Remember when female reporters were being kicked out of press briefings for wearing sleeveless shirts? Apparently that got quite a few people wondering how to navigate outdated or unclear dress codes in the workplace.