The Fem Word Vol. 38
curating stories of bold women in creative spaces.
weekly dose of female excellence ahead xx
FEM NEWS
Monika Lewinsky knows how it feels to have your reputation ruined. In a recent PSA regarding cyberbullying, Lewinski hopes to bring light to the rise of cyberbullying in the age of digital media. The campaign urges us all to take cyberbullying seriously, and to look at the harm it’s causing younger generations. Read More
Heartbreak Hill Running Company is helping women get ahead. Through the Ladies Lead running event hosted by the company, women are able to push their physical limits while pushing social boundaries as well. The event also hosts panels about women’s empowerment. Here’s to racing towards equality on all fronts! Read More
#MeToo is still circling our social media feeds, giving voices to women and helping them find a support system for the assault they’ve survived. The Philadelphia Inquirer recently talked with six women who have engaged with the hashtag to share their own experiences - here’s what they think has changed...and what hasn’t. Read More
Nuns are talking about women’s empowerment in the Catholic church. The dialogue surrounding women entering higher ranks in the church has opened, but there has been little change. But for the sisters on the ground in places like Sudan, the work calls for more people at the frontlines, not in higher offices. Sister Orla Treacy stated that “there is so much need on the ground that I think, in a sense, it’s the ground up.” Read More
What’s keeping women from positions of leadership in business? A new study from McKinsey and LeanIn.org suggests that it’s not just the proverbial glass ceiling - it’s the lack of low-rung level managers. Men are statistically more likely to be promoted to manager from entry-level positions than women, with 72 women being promoted for every 100 men. Researchers are calling this divide the “broken rung.” Read More
FEM NOBEL LAUREATES
Esther Duflo is here to inspire women. Winner of this year’s Nobel economics prize, stating that she hoped her win inspires "many other men to give [women] the respect they deserve.” Duflo earned the award for her work on new and experimental approaches to global poverty, and is the second woman to win. Read More
If we were to ask you how many women won Nobel Prizes in science this year, what would you say? Because the answer is zero. After seeing two women - Frances Arnold for biomedical engineering and Donna Strickland for physics - win last year, this is an unfortunate backslide. This trend mirrors the lack of women in STEM fields, and begs the question: Why aren’t there more women in science? Read More
FEMTERTAINMENT
The trailer for season three of Marvelous Mrs. Maisel was released last week, and fans are excited to see what’s next for the titular title character. The show follows Maisel as she pursues a stand-up comedy career - despite the protestations of her family. Full Story
FEMPOWERMENT
Aadhya Naveen is not an average Girl Scout. The 16-year-old spent July in India, working with the community in Ahmedabad to empower women. The project was to earn the gold award as a senior Girl Scout, and she chose India because her mom grew up there. Naveen asked multiple successful women to come to the community and share their stories with other women to encourage them to enter the job force. Full Story
PRESERVING THE FEM
The Partners in Preservation works to preserve historic places, and they are working hard to make sure that the great women of the past are not forgotten. A new initiative is working to preserve the homes and communities of women who made an impact - and make sure their contributions are not lost to the past. Learn More
Digital storytelling is a way for people to make a community and show that others like them are not alone. A recent article by Meghna Bhat detailed her experience with digital storytelling “Stories of Home,” a two-day storytelling conference that was held in September by StoryCenter. The workshop focused on the voices and lives of immigrants, allowing them to share their experience in the U.S. and assert their own American identities amongst the anti-immigrant views of many in the country today. Learn More
FEM SPORTS
Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei just shattered the women’s world record at the Chicago Marathon last week, coming in 2 hours, fifteen minutes and 25 seconds less than the long-standing record from Paula Radcliffe in 2003. Kosgei won the marathon last year as well, and also became the youngest winner of the London Marathon earlier this year. Full Story
FEMPRENEUR
CoolRevolution Pajamas are for women who are tired of hot flashes. The pajamas were created by Mindy Ford and Laura Musall, who were sick and tired of waking up covered in sweat every night. Unable to find help from their doctors, these women took matters into their own hands and created pajamas for women who just want a dry night’s sleep. Full Story
SHE’S SO COOL
“I like my body and that’s all that really matters.” Tracy Hinson is a meteorologist for KSDK News in St. Louis, and she is not allowing body shaming to ruin her self image. In response to a recent post from a viewer who told her to “cover her bulge,” she responded with grace, claiming she liked to eat and she wasn’t going to get upset over it. That’s what we’re talking about! Full Story