the Epstein files are really devastating because they remind me of how many girls and women miss out on professional opportunities, mentorship and careers because of how many powerful, rich and influential men only view girls and women — and interactions with them — through the lens of sex

It doesn't matter what the women said or did, how educated or successful they are, how faithful she is to her partner, anything. The Epstein files explicitly detail how these men (and their allies) emailed each other for advice and strategy on sex with girls and women, as well as helping each other.

At the same time, the extent of the Washington Post layoffs highlight how it didn't matter how hardworking, loyal, smart, collaborative, award-winning, competitive, knowledgeable and devoted so many of the staff were. It wasn't enough to prevent being laid off by one of the richest men in the world.

It's hard, as both a woman and a journalist, to understand both of these things and figure out a path forward. I can't mitigate them through more personal effort, education or professional experience. And it's galling to read the defenses for the layoffs and the people named in the Epstein files.

How many opportunities did I lose because men I encountered or worked with did (or didn't) think of me as someone they could get in bed? What was the point of a reporter willing to cover an active warzone if they were still laid off after bad decisions made by the paper's senior managers and owner?