The Fem Word Vol. 60

CURATING STORIES OF BOLD WOMEN IN CREATIVE SPACES.

weekly dose of female excellence ahead xx

COPENHAGEN

In another step toward bathroom equality, Nathalie Des Isnards has created a urinal for women. The idea came to her while spending thirty minutes in a line for the women’s bathroom and missing the beginning of a concert. Instead of just accepting that she would have to wait longer than men to pee, she created madamePee, the squattable urinal for women. Learn More

INDIA

The four men responsible for gang raping and murdering a woman in New Delhi in 2012 were hanged for their crimes last week. The stiff penalty was largely due to the international backlash the case received when it was originally brought to trial - many of the laws were outdated and ineffective. Thanks to public pressure and outrage, Indian lawmakers have revamped the country’s laws regarding rape. Learn More

FIJI

Agriculture in Fiji was a struggling enterprise - the soil simply couldn’t hold the vital nutrient necessary for successful growth. The women of Fiji have faced this problem head on since 2015, implementing agroforestry (the utilization of trees in agricultural practices) into their farming ecosystems. Now, over five years later, the fruits of their labor are clear: the environment has experienced long lasting positive effects, and the women themselves have boosted their own income as a result. Learn More

LAS VEGAS

51% of the Culinary Institute of America’s students are women...so why are only 7% of the restaurants in the country owned by them? The Women’s Hospitality Initiative is planning to change this discrepancy in the industry. Recently launched in Las Vegas, the organization is hosting the first-ever hospitality leadership course for women in the U.S. at the University of Nevada. The course will take place this fall. Learn More  

KENYA

Esther Passaris, an MP in Nairobi, Kenya, is fighting for a woman’s right to choose. Abortions are illegal in Kenya, causing many women to turn to dangerous and illegal avenues. While Passaris works with SheDecides, a movement dedicated to women’s rights, the country is split regarding abortion accessibility. The country is largely dominated by conservativism - and for every step taken towards a woman’s right to choose, many are there to fight against it. Learn More

ENGLAND

British photographer Jo Blackwell’s latest project, Face It, showcases women over 40 with no makeup on. Blackwell stated that “each one of those women have told me their story which is a privilege.” The series is composed of 52 portraits that aim to make older women visible in a society that often tries to forget them. Learn More

FEM FINANCE

Natasha Nath is the youngest professional financier at her level. The 29 year old VP and U.S. rates option trader works for Deutsche Bank on Wall Street. USA Today took some time last week to sit down with Nath and go through her schedule on a typical work day...long story short, she’s impressive. Learn More

LATINA

NPR sat down with singer-songwriter Angelica Garcia to talk about her new album Cha Cha Palace. The interview delves into Garcia’s Mexican-Salvadoran-American heritage, and her feelings of a double identity. After spending much of her early life in Los Angeles, Garcia’s family moved to Virginia. This latest album delves into feeling like an outsider after growing up in a place you belong. Full Interview

FEMPRENEUR

Katrina Lake didn’t always consider herself a feminist...but when she began building her business Stitch Fix, she realized that feminism was integral to equality on all fronts. Despite becoming a billion dollar company, Stitch Fix had trouble getting started - investors (all men) simply weren’t listening. Today, Lake states that having “broader representation in your team really just adds to the perspectives [...] you can have.” Learn More

ICONIC

We all know the name Coco Chanel, titan of the fashion industry and inventor of the infamous little black dress. With an icon that’s so much larger than life, it’s easy to assume that the person underneath isn’t really there. Check out this article from How Stuff Works to learn about Coco Chanel the woman - her activism for fellow women, her rough childhood, and how a legend was born. Learn More

COVID-19

Rihanna’s Clara Lionel Foundation announced that it would be donating $5 million towards coronavirus relief efforts. The money will go towards providing personal protective gear to medical personnel, funding local food banks for elderly and other at risk individuals, distributing respiratory supplies, and aiding in developing a testing process in underdeveloped areas. Learn More

Jennifer Haller became the first person to test a possible vaccine for the coronavirus last week. The mother of two had no hesitations in offering to test the experimental vaccine, stating that she “wanted to do something.” The shot is the latest in a series of hopeful vaccines from Moderna Inc., and contains no live or weakened strains of the virus, meaning Haller can’t contract it. Learn More

New Yorkers Reilly Jennings and Amanda Wheeler got married in the middle of the street last week, with their friend Matt Wilson officiating from the safety of a nearby window. The couple was originally meant to get married in October, but they moved the date up in order to be able to secure a marriage license due to continuing closure in the city. Props to these two for exemplifying love in an otherwise frightening time. Learn More

IN MEMORIAM

Barbara Harris, the first woman to be ordained as a bishop in the Anglican Church, died last week at the age of 89. Harris was consecrated as a bishop for the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts in February of 1989. She also took an active role in the Civil Rights Movement during the 60’s. Her life was defined by breaking boundaries, and she will be missed. Learn More