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. On December 11, Sports Illustrated presented former gymnast Rachael Denhollander with the Inspiration of the Year award. Denhollander was the first woman to make public her story of sexual assault and abuse by Dr. Larry Nassar when she was fifteen years old. Inspired by Denhollander's bravery, more than 300 women have come forward to accuse Nassar, who was convicted on multiple charges earlier this year.
"I am honored to be accepting the award this evening. I accept this on behalf of my sister survivors and on behalf of every victim who is still living in silence. May this be a reminder to us to stand with them. This award means that their voices matter, that their stories matter and that we are here with them." - Rachael Denhollander
Dr. Christine Blasey Ford appeared in a video statement to present Denhollander with the award. Ford thanked and praised Denhollander for her courage in spite of risk, and for helping other survivors feel supported enough to come forward with their experiences of violence.
2. Nobel Peace Prize laureate and badass activist Malala Yousafzai has received her second Harvard University award for her leadership and work advocating for girls’ education around the world. When she was only 11, Malala began to blog about her experiences growing up and being barred from a fair education in Taliban-controlled Pakistan. After an assassination attempt, she continued her quest and launched the Malala Fund to promote 12 years of safe, free, and quality education for all girls.
3. This week, co-anchor of NBC’s Today Kathie Lee Gifford announced she will be leaving the show in April 2019. Gifford has led Today for eleven years with her friend and partner Hoda Kotb, to whom Gifford attributes much of her success on the show: We’re going to be friends for the rest of our lives.” Before her time at NBC, Gifford received 11 Emmy nominations as co-host of Live with Regis and Kathie Lee and was a correspondent for Good Morning America. She also is a playwright, songwriter, and author.
4. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear arguments for two cases that would have allowed states to block Planned Parenthood (and any other abortion providers) from receiving Medicaid funding. Planned Parenthood has argued that barring Medicaid funding could harm low-income patients’ access to crucial health programs and services, including contraception, cancer screenings, and tests for sexually-transmitted infections.
“As a doctor,” said Planned Parenthood President Dr. Leana Wen in a statement after the Court’s announcement, “ I have seen what’s at stake when people cannot access the care they need, and when politics gets in the way of people making their own health care choices."
5. In a recent interview with the The New York Times, actress Megan Fox revealed she, too, has her share of #MeToo stories, but hasn’t come forward because she feared she would not be seen as a “sympathetic victim.” Fox became Hollywood’s “It Girl” in the 2000s when she starred in blockbusters such as Transformers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and has been vocal about her experiences being hypersexualized (including by Transformers director Michael Bay) and degraded during her career. "I don’t want to say this about myself,” said Fox to the Times, “but let’s say that I was ahead of my time and so people weren’t able to understand… Instead, I was rejected because of qualities that are now being praised in other women coming forward."
6. A new study by the Creative Artists Agency and tech firm Shift7 has found that female-led films outperformed male-led films on all budget levels, debunking the myth that female-led films are less successful.
The study analyzed data from 350 top-grossing U.S. films released between January 2014 and December 2017, using box office performance and production budget data. The study also concluded that movies that passed the Bechdel Test were more successful than movies that failed.
Born out of Alison Bechdel's comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For, the Bechdel Test is a simple test for movies (though it may be applied to television shows, books, etc.) with three criteria: (1) the movie must have at least two female characters (who are named); (2) these two female characters must speak to each other onscreen; and (3) they must speak about something other than a man.
Fem Favs: Updates & Events
🚨New TFW video alert!🚨 The Fem Word caught up with the one and only Natacha Hildebrand, Vice President and General Manager (US) at AllBright. Natacha co-founded Doyenne, a women’s community enhancing women’s lives through education, advocacy, and camaraderie. Get inspired by this badass below...
“It is your choice how you want to be a woman and be a feminist and use your power… because in power there is choice, and in choice there is power.”
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