The Fem Word Vol. 40

curating stories of bold women in creative spaces.

weekly dose of female excellence ahead xx

FEM NEWS

Julie Andrews is calling for an open discussion around therapy. While singing praises for getting help, she also called out the financial and social barriers that are still in place. One thing is for sure...a spoonful of sugar does NOT help the stigma go down. Full Story

Meghan Markle is not going down without a fight. In response to Markle taking legal action against the influx of negative and false articles about her in the press, the women of Parliament penned an open letter in support. Full Story

Millennial women are twice as likely to outearn their partners than their mothers. Despite the growth, men still routinely outrank women in earnings. It’s a step in the right direction. Full Study

Ever wondered why the art of women in history is never in museums? London’s National Portrait Gallery’s latest exhibition: Pre-Raphaelite Sisters, works to showcase women of the past as artists - not just a subject on a canvas. Full Story

Ranky Tanky, a band from Charleston, SC, shares the history of Gullah through music. Led by the strong and smoky tones of lead singer Quiana Parler (who has shared a stage with Kelly Clarkson and Maroon 5...casual,) this group brings history and culture to life. Full Story

Lauren Franco created [gather] to help women connect. She first came up with the idea when she realized how lonely her fellow students at NYU were, and decided to create a community that was lacking in the city. Now, [gather] has three full-time teams and is still growing. Learn More

FEM & MEN INSPIRE

Need some inspiration? Learn about the amazing men and who were honored by CNN for making the world a better place. Full Story

FEM EVENTS

The second women’s empowerment summit to be held in Sharjah is taking place this December. The theme is “Drivers of Change,” and the goal is to create an action plan for women to be able to access finance and funding. The director of NAMA, one of the hosts of the summit, stated that the event “aligns with our belief that women are an indispensable human resource for the development of every nation.” Learn More

Egypt’s Investment Minister Sahr Nasr spoke at length on the subject of women’s financial empowerment at the Future Investment Initiative in Saudi Arabia last week. Her goal is to move towards a more inclusive workforce, stating that women now share 40% of the workforce and 20% of start-up founders in 2019. Learn More

WWE hosted the first all-women’s wrestling match in Saudi Arabia last Thursday. Although WWE has met criticism for holding an event in such a conservative nation, fans of wrestling in Saudi Arabia rejoiced. In light of the recent lifting of the ban that previously barred women from sports events, there is hope that the match will cause a ripple effect for equality. Read More

FEM HEALTH

For black and rural women in the US, breast cancer comes with even more complications. A recent study from Reuters Health suggests that these women are more likely to lose their jobs or take pay cuts after being diagnosed. The study surveyed over 2,000 women in North Carolina. Full Study

FEM HISTORY

“She represents the kind of Black women who, over the years, have thrown themselves into the struggle of this country and made in indelible, if anonymous, mark.” Author Stella Dadzie speaks of Olive Morris - a civil rights activist in Britain during the 70s. Morris spoke at dozens of rallies, becoming a voice for the civil rights movement in Britain...and yet no one knows about her. Let’s change that. Learn More

Hilda Geiringer thought she had overcome all the obstacles in front of her when she arrived in New York. The year was 1939, and she had escaped the clutches of Nazi Germany. However, she would soon learn that she had other problems to face - sexism in academia. Despite this, Geiringer advanced the field of applied mathematics, and her work forms the foundation for what science and engineering rely on today. Learn More

SHE’S SO COOL

Grace Lombardo was 35 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. After a double mastectomy, she felt as if she had lost a part of herself. When she discovered mastectomy tattoos, she knew immediately she would get one, saying that “this was something I was going to be able to choose to do for myself, to cover up this area of my body that I hated to look at, and I was going to put something there that made me happy.” Full Story