Here we go again. B2B magazine reported recently that both the Wall Street Journal and Forbes have started separate content sites/publications for women. WSJ’s is just a section of its online site called Journal Women but Forbes is launching a quarterly ForbesLife Executive Women (FLEW) magazine and online section.

I have to say, I find this kind of offensive. It’s almost like a “separate but equal” thing–we’ll give you your own little section since women execs and women’s “issues” so rarely make news worthy of our “regular” publication.

Issues like balance, of course. But isn’t that perpetuating the stereotype that “juggling” work and home should be a woman’s issue?  Instead of one for both parents?

Or clothing. On the current FLEW page, five of the features are about fashion. Please. The only reason Forbes launched this magazine is to attract high-end luxury advertisers they weren’t getting in the flagship magazine, which only has a 30% female subscriber rate. And everyone knows the high-end advertising market is less affected by a slow economy.

Don’t get me wrong–I have nothing against creating a magazine aimed at women (or men). Aside from the horrible name, I’m a big fan of Pink magazine. It’s the approach here of segregating out women’s sections like they’re just trying to throw us a bone or something.

I guess we should be thankful that at least they aren’t charging us more (yet) like the dry cleaners do?

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