The Fem Word Vol. 49

CURATING STORIES OF BOLD WOMEN IN CREATIVE SPACES.

weekly dose of female excellence ahead xx

FEM NEWS AROUND THE WORLD

United Arab Emirates

Shaikha Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Qasimi takes global women’s empowerment seriously. That’s why she started Elevate, a pioneering platform engineered to bring economic empowerment to women in the low- and middle-range economies of Asia, South America, and the Caribbean. The program aims to use funding from the private sector to provide opportunities to women in these areas. Learn More

United States

Charlize Theron signed every single item at the Palm Springs International Film Festival this year...until faced with an old issue of Playboy with her on the cover. She calmly waved it away, and continued signing. She went on to speak on her new film Bombshell and the work it does to continue the conversation around sexual harassment. Learn More

Mike Whan didn’t get a daughter, although he wished for one. Father of three sons, he still believes he should use his position in the world of golf to help aspiring young women become the athletes he knows they can be. As he begins his 11th year with LPGA, he works every day to get women to where they need to be in golf to succeed. Learn More

South Asia

The 2020 edition of the Saris to Suits calendar, a tradition since 2012, stars fourteen South Asian women of all walks of life, from ages 18 to 97. The calendar exists due to the efforts of Patti Tripathi, who wanted to highlight women that have persisted, despite all life could throw at them. Learn More

Cyprus

Last summer, a British teenager came forward and stated that she was the victim of a gang rape by 12 Israeli youths. She was convicted for false allegations. The women of Cyprus are enraged that she was dismissed, and have taken to their own small district court in protest. For many, this is a springboard for recent murders of young girls in their own country, and they are no longer staying silent. Learn More

Israel

Studying the Talmud has been almost exclusively reserved to men in the Jewish community...until now. Increasing numbers of Jewish women are taking up the texts, pursuing knowledge that has formed the foundation of Jewish belief for centuries. Michelle Cohen Farber, an Orthodox scholar, teaches women in her home every week. For her, it’s “about getting women to open this book, for the continuity of the Jewish people. If you exclude women from it, that’s 50% of the population.” Learn More

Global

Mobilizing Men as Partners for Women, Peace, and Security (MAWPS) worked hard to become the organization it is today. They started with a goal: promote engagement for women in international security and peace negotiations. Their beginning was rife with internal disagreements and struggles, but all was overcome in the pursuit of equality and peace. The group is dedicated to bringing women and men together, all over the world. Learn More

Most Admired 

Michelle Obama was nominated Most Admired Woman in Gallup’s 2019 poll, making it the second year she has been recognized. She was the only woman to rank in double digits, followed by Melania Trump, Oprah Winfrey, and Greta Thunberg. Learn More