The Fem Word Vol. 58
CURATING STORIES OF BOLD WOMEN IN CREATIVE SPACES.
weekly dose of female excellence ahead xx
NORTH KOREA
Teenagers and young adults in North Korea are slowly pushing the boundaries of fashion in their communities. Appearance is strictly regulated, especially for women. Many defectors, those who have left North Korea, now reside in South Korea and are expressing themselves however they wish - and further influencing those they left behind. Learn More
USA
For the first time in cinematic history, female leads have reached gender parity with male leads in family films. This milestone was achieved last year, and was accompanied by similar leaps in representation for POCs and the LGBTQ+ community. The report was released by the Geena Davis Institute, which commented that while the improvement was to be celebrated, there is still a long way to go to full parity for all. Learn More
INDIA
Radhika Gupta is India’s only female CEO for a major asset manager, as well as the founder of the country’s first domestic hedge fund. Gupta’s story is inspiring from the start, when she broke her neck while entering the world. As a result, her head is on a permanent tilt. While she used to let it get her down, Gupta soon realized she could do so much more...and she sure did. Learn More
SYRIA
Professional table tennis player Hend Zaza puts a new meaning to the word “prodigy.” At eleven years old, Zaza qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, making her the youngest competitor for this year’s games. She is currently ranked 155th in the world. Learn More
PARIS
Last week, the film “Woman” made its debut in France. Directed by Yann Arthus-Bertrand, it aims to show men the daily life of a woman. When asked about her vision for the film, Arthus-Bertrand stated that she wanted “this film to hit men hard - but in a good way.” The movie follows a documentary style, with interviews of 2,000 women from all over the world. Learn More
AUSTRALIA
For women’s history month, CNN wanted to remember a recent shero - Tayla Harris. She’s a well known Australian football player and boxer who gained internet fame after her response to online hate last March. After a photo of her playing football received many sexualized comments, Harris responded “here’s a pic of me at work...think about this before your derogatory comments, animals.” Learn More
FEM FINANCE
Despite progress towards gender equality both in the workplace and at home, women still perform more unpaid labor than men on a global scale. The New York Times wanted to tally up all that unpaid labor...and the numbers are staggering. If women around the world made minimum wage for cooking, watching after children, caring for relatives, and cleaning, they would make over 10.9 trillion USD a year. Learn More
READY TO RUN
Workwear brand MM.Lafleur is answering the dilemma that so many women running for office have: what to wear. The brand is offering to dress women running for office for free. Women in the public eye walk a tight line between fashionable and professional, but with MM.Lafleur’s help this problem just got a lot easier. Learn More
FEM SPORTS
25 year old Molly Seidel qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics last week, coming in second in her debut marathon. She finished less than ten seconds after winner Aliphine Tuliamuk. When asked about her achievement, Seidel could only say, “I can’t put into words the happiness, gratitude, and sheer shock I’m feeling right now.” Learn More
FEM HEALTH
Musician Bebe Rexha opened up last week about living with bipolar disorder. She wanted to be candid about living with mental illness in order to “release others from their struggles.” The full story features in this month’s issue of Self magazine. Rexha stated that after seeking out therapy and prescribed medication, she finally feels more like herself. Learn More
Today Show host Savannah Guthrie shared her progress with the 30-day yoga challenge at the end of February - showing off new flexibility and stability. She sang the praises of her fans and coworkers who participated with her, stating that it was all possible because they supported one another. Guthrie urges everyone to take part in the challenge, and to get themselves healthier, looser, and happier. Learn More
Andrea Downing wants to warn us about sharing medical information on “private” support groups on social media. A breast cancer survivor and tech project manager, Downing has been working tirelessly to let the public know that anyone can access your medical information, name, address, and other personal info just from one “confidential” Facebook group. Downing is working hard to create a more secure space for people to engage with others with similar conditions online...without having their information compromised. Learn More
IN MEMORIAM
Joyce Gordon has passed away at the age of 90. Gordon was the first female President of a branch of the Screen Actors Guild, and is best known as a spearheading television performer. She was also the first woman to star in network promos in the 1950s. She served the Guild for over four decades, and her support of her fellow actors will be missed. Learn More