Yesterday, we mentioned Goldman Sachs' giveaways at Harvard's Women Engineers Code conference consisted of nail files, mirrors, T-shirts, keychains and more, as reported in the New York Times, which cited an Instagram user who wrote, "Not sure if this is #sexyfeminism or gender stereotyping" and posted a picture of the branded mirrors.
Even though Goldman Sachs was "encouraged to bring goodies that appeal to a female audience," according to the Times, the company apologized "if the gifts gave anyone offense."
We asked you what you thought in our poll, and at press time, 86 percent of you felt it was not sexist.
"I think it is harmless," user Katie Scott said. "If Goldman Sachs was encouraged to bring items that appealed to a female audience, they hit their mark perfectly. One of the purposes of promotional products is to keep your brand in front of your audience as long and as many times as possible. And, many people use nail files and mirrors, not just women."
However, some disagreed.
"If I were a woman, and I were attending an engineering conference, I'd already be fighting an uphill battle to be thought of as an equal in this male-dominated field," said user Dan Kaufman. "To be reminded that I'm still thought of first as a woman and not as an engineer in this context would be insulting, in my opinion. Why not hand out items that are relevant to engineers, regardless of their gender?"
If you missed the story yesterday, the poll and original story are still open if you'd like to cast your vote and weigh in on the discussion.