The Fem Word Vol. 50
CURATING STORIES OF BOLD WOMEN IN CREATIVE SPACES.
weekly dose of female excellence ahead xx
FEM DOING GOOD:
NEW ZEALAND
Last week, Serena Williams took home her first trophy since giving birth to her daughter in 2017 at the ASB Classic last week. Williams stated that she was very relieved and that her victory was “just a step towards the next goal.” She went on to donate her $43,000 prize to the Australian bushfire relief. Learn More
AUSTRALIA
Phoebe Waller-Bridge, creator and star of Flea Bag, is auctioning her Golden Globes suit on Ebay to raise money for wildfire relief in Australia. The auction will end on the 20th of January, with a starting bid of 77,000 USD or 40,000 GBP. The suit was created by Australian designers Ralph & Russo. Learn More
IRAN
Kimia Alizadeh, Iran’s only female Olympic Medalist, announced via Instagram that she has defected from the Islamic Republic. Alizadeh competed at the 2016 Summer Olympic games in Rio de Janeiro, winning a bronze medal for taekwondo, an incredible feat as an Iranian woman. In her letter on Instagram, Alizadeh recounts the oppression and mistreatment she experienced in Iran. Yet, she states that her decision to leave Iran was incredibly difficult. Read more.
SAUDI ARABIA
In yet another move to break down the gender divide in Middle Eastern society, Saudi Arabia has ended gender segregation in restaurants. This law comes in the wake of the Saudi government’s new initiative to loosen strict social rules and to modernize the country as a whole. Learn More
USA
The Seneca Women Podcast Network, sponsored by Procter and Gamble, is a podcast series with one mission: “amplify women’s voices around the globe.” The series interviews strong women to share their stories and inspire others to do the same. Some guests have included Secretary of State Madeline Albright and media aficionado Arianna Huffington. Learn More
Olay’s Super Bowl advertisement is making a statement this year. The commercial will boast an all female cast, in response to statistics showing that 45% of NFL fans are women. The company is also hosting a contest for one female fan to win a trip to the Super Bowl in Miami this year. The contest closes on January 20th. Learn More
ICELAND
Icelandic composer Hildur Guðnadóttir became the first solo woman composer to win a Golden Globe for her original score in the latest Joker film last week. Guðnadóttir also won a Primetime Emmy last year for her work with the soundtrack of the HBO mini series Chernobyl, a show which also earned her a Grammy nomination. Learn More
DENMARK
Danish entrepreneur Mette Lykke likes to make a difference. In fact, she’s built her career around it. She first launched a personal fitness app, and her latest project tackles food waste and ways to reduce its environmental impact. She invested in the app Too Good To Go, created by five Danish entrepreneurs, that offers people discounted prices on surplus food and meals. She is now chief executive of Too Good To Go, which operates in 13 European countries. Learn More
SPORTS
Katie Sowers, assistant offensive coach of the San Francisco 49ers, is only the second woman to be hired as a full-time coach for the NFL. In the spirit of breaking barriers in the field, she’s also openly gay. Sowers gained national attention after being featured in a commercial for Microsoft that ran during the Golden Globes. Learn More
ECONOMY
According to data from the Labor Department, women make up the majority of the workforce in the U.S for the first time since 2010. The study suggests that this is in direct correlation with the labor market becoming more welcoming, and offering higher wages and perks. Women have also taken over traditionally male spheres, such as logging and mining. Learn More
SHE’S SO COOL
Michelle Williams used her acceptance speech at the Golden Globes to talk about women’s rights. The actress stated that she could not be where she was “without employing a woman’s right to choose...to choose to have my children, and with whom.” Although some have responded negatively, the overall response for William’s speech has been overwhelmingly positive. Learn More