Egg-freezing Debate

Oliviero, Musial

Katie Oliviero, assistant professor of women’s & gender studies, and Jennifer Musial, visiting professor of women’s & gender studies.

Women's & gender studies faculty weigh in on public radio on controversial egg-freezing benefit 

Katie Oliviero, assistant professor of women’s & gender studies, and Jennifer Musial, visiting professor of women’s & gender studies, recently appeared on NPR-affiliate WITF's Smart Talk to discuss Apple's and Facebook's new egg-freezing benefit.

In an innovative and controversial move, the two tech giants recently announced that they will pay up to $20,000 for female employees to freeze their eggs. The benefit allows women to decide to have children at a later time if they don’t want to interrupt their careers. With nearly 50 percent of women leaving the professional workplace in their 30s, the companies say they hope the offer encourages women to remain in the workforce.

But the move has raised questions, among them whether the companies are truly offering the benefit for their own good instead of the good of their employees. Oliviero and Musial addressed these questions and discussed the myriad implications.

Listen to the discussion on NPR 

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Published October 31, 2014