I really think the author really draws the wrong message out of this. It sucks that, because there is really no objective way to determine "merit", your position in the social graph can be more important than your talents in terms of your career. Meaning a person with some amount of social power can affect your career negatively just because they don't like you. That applies to both men and women, and it happens an awful lot to both.<p>Anyway, there are quite a few advantages to being a woman in Western society. If she really hated this guy, she could have just married him and then took half his stuff.
To the author:<p><i>clap</i>clap*<p>Beautiful. It's a shame great stuff like this falls through the cracks on HN.<p>I really do not know what to say, except that your story was very inspiring and I wish you the best with the future. I'm sorry about your losses, and I hope you continue doing what you love and put the past behind you. The world is a better place because of your achievements.<p>-kunai