#FemNews Weekly Roundup Vol. 22

For all those badasses trying to catch up on the headlines, here are a few highlights from the past week. As always, join in the conversation using #TheFemWord and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. #FemNews

1. Actress and producer Eliza Dushku has published her side to the story of the sexual harassment she endured while on the set of the CBS television show Bull. Dushku faced relentless abuse from her male co-star, including name-calling, sexually explicit and violent comments, and eventually termination of her contract when she brought forward allegations. “I took a job,” writes Dushku in The Boston Globe, “and, because I did not want to be harassed, I was fired.” Eliza, thank you for sharing your story. You are brave. You are a survivor. You are a badass.

2. Professional badminton player Pusarla Venkata (PV) Sindhu is the first Indian to win the Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour Finals. The twenty-three-year-old athlete also was the first Indian woman to win an Olympic silver medal and has her sights set on competing in the 2020 Olympics. We’re cheering this badass on to Tokyo!

3. Eff your beauty standards! These badass women protested the unrealistic ideals of ‘feminine beauty’ on display during the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show by stripping down to their underwear and protesting in front of a Victoria’s Secret Store in the middle of London. Joanne Morales -- the founder of Nunude, a U.K.-based brand that specializes in creating underwear for a diverse range of skin tones and sizes -- and Sylvia Mac -- creator of the website Love Disfigure -- organized the protest against Victoria’s Secret because they “were fed up seeing these so-called perfect body images online, with there being just one perceived beautiful body type.”

4. Badass civil rights lawyer Anurima Bhargava continues to change the world. Bhargava has been appointed by Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to serve on the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom. Bhargava, who is President and founder of Anthem of Us and has worked at the U.S. Department of Justice and for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, has long dedicated herself to amplifying marginalized voices, fighting for justice for women and girls, and standing up for survivors of sexual assault. Congrats!

5. We are heartbroken to share that director, actress, producer, and comedian Penny Marshall passed away on December 17, 2018, due to complications with diabetes. Marshall was known for starring as Laverne in the hit sitcom Laverne and Shirley and for directing memorable movies such as A League of Their Own (1992), Big (1988), and Riding in Cars with Boys (2001). This groundbreaking badass paved the way for women and girls in the film industry, and we couldn’t adore her more. Thank you, Penny. ❤️

6. Age really is just a number. On December 9, 102-year-old Irene O’Shea performed a 14,000-foot skydive in South Australia. This isn’t the first time this badass has thrown herself from a plane on purpose: the Australian great-grandmother has performed two similar jumps in the past two years (at 100 and 101).

Since losing her daughter, Shelagh FitzHenry, to motor neuron disease (known as Lou Gehrig’s disease or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in the United States), O'Shea has been using her jumps to raise money and awareness for the Motor Neuron Disease Association of South Australia. “Perhaps I will jump next year,” said O’Shea to The Advocate. “And if I live long enough, I’ll jump at 105.” #inspiring

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Fem Favs: Updates & Events

The second annual #BlogHer Health event will celebrate storytellers who raise awareness for our collective health and wellbeing. #BlogHer Health takes place on January 24-25, 2019, in Los Angeles, and will feature a day and a half of health and wellness-focused programming, experiences, inspirational keynotes, and panels. Oh and BTW... Alyssa Milano is one of the many badass speakers! **heart eyes** There's still time to register!

This holiday season, The Fem Word is thankful for badass women like Vijaya Ramakrishna and Sarva Rajendra, who have dedicated their lives to providing education, care, and support for underprivileged girls in Bangalore, India! Vijaya and Sarva are mother and daughter as well as co-founder and president (respectively) of Sahasra Deepika Foundation for Education, a 501(c)3 nonprofit. We. Love. These. Women. ❤️❤️