From a New York Times obit by Penelope Green headlined “Marilyn Loden, Who Championed a Feminist Metaphor, Dies at 76”:

Marilyn Loden was 31 and working in human resources at the New York Telephone Company when she was asked to be part of a panel at a feminist conference in Manhattan. It was 1978, and the topic was how women were thwarted in the workplace. As her fellow panelists discussed poor self-image and self-deprecating behaviors, Ms. Loden grew frustrated. It was clear to her that women were not to blame for their own stalled careers.