For all those badasses trying to catch up on the headlines, here are a few highlights from the past week. Sign up for our newsletter to receive #FemNews and other videos, articles, and updates from The Fem Word every Tuesday.
1. The legendary Diana Ross celebrated her 75th birthday in Los Angeles this week with a star-studded, disco-filled bash dubbed “Diamond Diana” surrounded by friends, family, and the Kardashians. The Queen of Motown performed several of her hits, shared the stage to sing with guests such as Robin Thicke, and was even serenaded to a stripped-down version of ‘Happy Birthday by Queen Bey herself! And if you thought it couldn’t get more diva than that, the City of Los Angeles declared that Ross's birthday (Mar. 26) an official day in the city. Here’s to 75 more!
2. This week, a new image database launched aiming to revolutionize how the media and advertising portray “beauty”. Project #ShowUs, in partnership with Dove, Getty Images, and Girlgaze is the first publicly accessible photo library featuring more than 5,000 diverse women: no photoshopping or face-tuning. The inclusive image bank, captured by 116 non-binary and female-identifying photographers from over 39 countries invites advertisers to broaden their representation of women and shatter beauty stereotypes. Just type “beautiful woman” into Google Search and check out the lack of diversity for yourself … *yawn*.
3. #FemNews UPDATE:
Last week, we reported on NASA’s plans to conduct the first ever all-female spacewalk a.k.a the out-of-this-world conclusion to Women’s History Month. Unfortunately, the walk has been postponed due to several challenges, most notably, not enough spacesuits. While most of us were thinking exactly what Hilary Clinton tweeted “Make another suit” apparently it’s not that simple; the shortage highlights larger challenges in gender and resources within NASA. Despite the setbacks, we’re confident our ladies WILL get their moment in the sun, *ahem* MOON!
4. Lesson of the week: stay alert to stay empowered. Writer Joanna Chiu chronicled in real time, in a now viral Twitter thread, how herself and several other women stepped in to defend a female teen who was being harassed on a flight by a neighboring male passenger.
After overhearing the man ask the teen for a dirty picture, Chiu jumped in and “rage-whispered” a warning, the woman sitting behind the teen suggested the teen move seats, and another called a flight attendant: cueing the women-protecting-women ripple effect heard across the web.
Most notably, Chiu concluded that women seemed to pick up on the SOS signs, while male passengers carried on, oblivious. Female intuition, and then some.
5. Cause we could ALL use a feel-good story RN, a 71-year-old grandmother in Zimbabwe walked miles from her village to the nation’s capital to deliver a sack of clothes, home goods, and other relief items to Cyclone Idai survivors, a destructive tornado which struck southern Africa in mid-March. But wait, it gets better. Palaxades Dilon’s selfless act caught the attention of the country’s wealthiest man, Strive Masiyiwa, who called our heroine’s feat "one of the most remarkable acts of compassion I have ever seen." He’s vowed to build Dilon a home wherever she wants in the country and $1,000 per month for life. No good deed goes unpunished, right ladies?
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