In US Election, Women Won Big

The 2020 United States election has left a lot up in the air and voters around the country wait anxiously for final results, especially for the presidential race. However, we don’t need to wait to know that women around the country shattered barriers and won several big victories. 

From women of color taking (or keeping) elected positions to women’s roles in moving the needle in countless ways, ladies led the way. It has been an election of firsts: the first Black and South Asian woman nominated or elected Vice President, the first openly transgender woman elected state senator, the first woman elected mayor in Miami-Dade County, the first Republican women elected to the House in both Iowa and South Carolina, Wyoming’s first female senator, the first Black congresswoman elected in Missouri, and many more milestones. No matter your political leanings, this has been an election of broken barriers. Read on for more details on how women are leading.

Record Number of Native American Women Elected to Congress, from The Guardian—“According to a Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) report, 18 indigenous women were running for congressional seats this year – a record in a single year.”

Women Have Made History in the 2020 Election, from Elle—“Before any races were even called this November, women had made history. A record number of women ran for office in 2020—surpassing the record set just two years prior. More Republican women ran for U.S. House seats than ever before, and a number of women were poised to bring new representation to the halls of Congress and to their state legislatures.”

New Mexico Makes History, Becomes First State to Elect All Women of Color to the House, from People—“New Mexico is now the first state with a House delegation comprised entirely of women of color. […] All of the six major party candidates who ran in New Mexico’s House races were women.”

All 4 Members of ‘The Squad’ Reelected to House, from CNN—“All four congresswomen known as the Squad—Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts—have won reelection, CNN projects. Since taking office in January 2019, the lawmakers, all women of color, have electrified the left’s progressive base and lit up social media.”

Kamala Harris Makes History As the First Woman to Become Vice President, from Vox—“Harris has made history: No woman has ever served as vice president or president in the US. Her election to the office — and the representation she brings — is significant for many voters. […] Harris’s nomination for this role was groundbreaking. As the new vice president, Harris could play a major role in shaping policies and priorities for a Biden administration, while sending a strong message about what’s possible for other women and people of color.”

Honoring, Uplifting, and Supporting Rural Women

Ever since International Day of Rural Women on Oct. 15, we’ve been seeing even more than usual about the incredible women doing the bulk of our world’s rural work, including indigenous women and women in countries around the globe working in difficult conditions. Rural women keep our agriculture, economies, and indeed us running. Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, rural women face increasing challenges; including access to health care, increased pressure during the pandemic, medical needs, and more. Still, rural women continue to work on the front lines. We've collected just a few stories about rural women--their amazing and tireless work; the unique challenges they face right now; their initiative and innovation; how they're changing and uplifting the world, and how we might all help support their needs, advocacy, and lives. Read on for more, and keep supporting our rural women and their power and work.

Speakers: COVID-19 Unfolded Opportunities for Rural Women to Act as Agents of Change, from The Nation—“The platform of rural women conference served as a place where voices of the representatives from over 100 districts of the country raised concerns for an inclusive response to manage disasters like the way Corona pandemic played unprecedented havoc with the local communities here in Pakistan.”

In Costa Rica, Rural Women Grow Their Own Businesses, from UNDP—“The recovery from COVID-19 and the safe path to Sustainable Development must have women and nature-based solutions at its centre if we are to emerge stronger and better from the challenges we face as humanity. This involves transforming the social norms of gender imposed by culture, norms that make invisible the role of women as essential agents of conservation, and their leading role in reducing the loss of nature”

Invest in Rural Women, Help Them Build Resilience to Future Crises, Urges UN Chief, from UN News—“Rural women play a critical role in agriculture, food security and managing land and natural resources - yet many suffer from ‘discrimination, systemic racism, and structural poverty,’ the UN chief said on Thursday.”

Opinion: The Name Game: How Women Get Erased in Rural India, from Thomson Reuters—“In rural villages, one can easily find women who have their husband’s name tattooed on their wrist. However, even if her husband’s name is stitched on her flesh, most often a woman does not say his name aloud. Traditionally, a husband is a godly figure and saying his name is considered disrespectful.”

Mobilizing Rural Women for a Food-Secure Future, from Politico—“As the world grapples with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and looks at how to address other pressing challenges such as climate change and feeding a growing global population, it is more important than ever to mobilize the entire rural workforce — especially women — in ensuring a food-secure future.”

Celebrating Girls on International Day of the Girl and All Year Long

Yesterday was International Day of the Girl. This year’s theme, “My Voice, Our Equal Future,” focused on  “the opportunity to be inspired by what adolescent girls see as the change they want, the solutions—big and small—they are leading and demanding across the globe.”

We work to honor and uplift women every day, but we also passionately support girls and are inspired by their work, ideas, and the powerful women they’re growing into. That’s why—even though it’s the day after International Day of the Girl—we’re taking today to recognize, support, and empower (not to mention honor the power of) girls, and we’re calling for everyone to do so all year long. We’re looking at issues that threaten and challenge girls, deeper conversations and the continuing dialogue about advocacy for girls, resources to help, and year-round inspiration from amazing girls around the world.

How You Can Celebrate International Day of the Girl and Raise a Leader, from Forbes—“After almost twenty years of doing this work, I want us to stop teaching our girls the importance of being pretty, polite, and likable. I wonder what preschools and elementary schools would look like if our girls with the pressure to be brave, funny, and smart.”

Michelle Obama and Malala Yousafzai in Conversation for International Day of the Girl, from Teen Vogue—“Joining the indomitable pair is Priya Mondol, a 17-year-old student in Kolkata, India, for whom their work is personal. Priya faced obstacles to getting an education, but with the help of Her Future Coalition, an organization supported by the Girls Opportunity Alliance, she's able to keep learning during this challenging time. She joined Mrs. Obama and Malala to discuss the importance of developing resilience and to share insights about girls’ education and empowerment in advance of the Day of the Girl.”

How Shouting, Finger-Waving Girls Became Our Conscience, from The New York Times—“While aggression in women remains suspect, the public is drawn, now more than ever, to girls who reproach and rebuke, calling the world to account for its ills — and girls in turn are learning to harness that public gaze to effect larger change.”

International Day of the Girl Child, from the World Health Organization—“The 2020 theme of International Day of the Girl is “My voice, our equal future.” This is a striking call to recognize girls’ inheritance of the still-unfinished Beijing Agenda, their expertise on the challenges they face especially for their sexual and reproductive health and rights, and their limitless capacity as change-makers. To commemorate the day, WHO co-organized a virtual intergenerational dialogue between girl advocates and high-level leaders about putting girls and their rights at the centre of decision-making processes.”

How You Can Help on International Day of the Girl, from Refinery29—“Worldwide, nearly 1 in 4 girls aged 15–19 years is neither employed nor in education or training. And by 2021, nearly 435 million women and girls will be living on less than $1.90 a day—including 47 million pushed into poverty as a result of COVID-19, also according to the UN. In addition to those startling numbers, 1 in 3 women worldwide have experienced physical or sexual violence. And since the pandemic began, violence against women and girls has become even more intense. [...] There are plenty of community-based initiatives working to solve these issues and more for girls.”

The History of the Women Nominated for Vice President

CNN looks at the history of women as candidates for vice president of the United States—a role only taken on by three women in history, the latest being presidential nominee Joe Biden's pick Kamala Harris. The article talks about Harris, the third woman to accept a nomination from a major party and the first woman of color, and why the pick is so significant. Reporter Kate Sullivan also discusses Sarah Palin’s history and rise before being nominated, as well as Geraldine Ferraro’s groundbreaking nomination as the first woman—and her background, including her time as a teacher, lawyer, and advocate for victims and for economic equality for women. While previous tickets with women vice presidential candidates have been unsuccessful, it’s easy to see why so many are eager to see the glass ceiling shattered—and to see a qualified, powerful woman succeed.

By Kate Sullivan, CNN

With Joe Biden selecting Kamala Harris, the senator from California becomes just the third woman to be selected as the vice president on a major party ticket and the first Black woman to be nominated.

Harris, a woman of Black and South Asian descent, ran for president in 2020 but ended her bid in December. She has been a senator since 2017, and was previously California's attorney general.

Biden's announcement on Tuesday came after months of speculation and after his vetting team looked at more than a dozen women. Biden pledged earlier this year to choose a woman as his vice president, and was under pressure to select a woman of color.

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Image via CNN

100 Years of Women at the Ballot Box

August marks 100 years since the ratification of the 19th Amendment, granting women the right to vote. A new voting population brought new issues to the forefront, new voices being heard, and a new political landscape. But the fight didn't end there.  For the next few months, Smithsonian Magazine will cover the fight for representation, complications including privilege and ongoing inequality, struggles, political trailblazers, and ongoing work—and the women behind it all. Read below and click through to read more and follow their coverage.

On August 18, 1920—a full century ago—the 19th Amendment was ratified by Tennessee's legislature. But that date marks neither the beginning nor the end of the struggle for suffrage. The movement to secure the vote for women took a long, thorny path that extends until today; it's a trail dotted with factional disagreements, prioritization of the needs of the white and wealthy, disappointments and hard-won victories, occasional scandal, unexpected alliances and perseverance. In this collection of stories, you can learn about this complex history and the women who propelled it.

In the coming months, Smithsonian magazine will tell the stories of the people who pushed to fully realize the dream of suffrage for all women, like civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer, who faced down the KKK to secure the right to vote for herself and others; the Hawaiian suffragists whose path to political participation was complicated by colonialism; and the glass-ceiling-cracking campaigns of Shirley Chisholm and Geraldine Ferraro.

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Juneteenth: Freedom, Progress, and Celebrating Black Voices and Lives

Juneteenth—celebrated June 19 in the United States—marks the day those held in slavery were told they had been freed. The date commemorates June 19, 1865, when it was announced that tens of thousands of African-Americans in Texas had been emancipated, and for all its significance is only one step in the complex and painful history of racial inequality in the US. Today, Juneteenth remembers that day and the events that led up to it, educates Americans about history and current events central to the Black community, and is a time Black Americans come together to celebrate their resilience, culture, and progress. 

We’ve put together a collection of articles and stories centering on Juneteenth—family stories; celebrations of black womanhood; the economic, political, societal, and deeply personal pressures still faced by Black Americans today; and how to respect and observe the holiday, including a petition for Juneteenth to be recognized as a national holiday. We honor Black women and the entire Black community today, and we pledge to work to listen, respect, celebrate, and amplify Black voices.

One Woman's Quest to Make Juneteenth a National Holiday, from NPR—“A 90-year-old Texas woman is trying to make Juneteenth, a holiday that honors the freedom of slaves, a national holiday. She’s walked around the country and will end her petition in Washington, D.C.”

10 Ways To Observe Juneteenth This Year, from Women’s Health—“So if you’re a Black American—this is our Independence Day, and it deserves to be observed. If you’re worried about how the novel coronavirus pandemic will affect Juneteenth this year, and maybe some of your plans got cancelled already—don’t worry. There are plenty of ways you can still take part. How? Well, you can start by signing 93-year-old activist Opal Lee’s petition to make Juneteenth a national holiday, which is long overdue.”

This Juneteenth, We Should Uplift America’s Black Businesses, from The Brookings Institution—“Women—and specifically, Black women—were also underrepresented as business owners in the survey. Women represent more than half of the U.S. population, but they owned only one in five businesses (just over 1.1 million) in 2017. This was about the same proportion as it was in 2012. Black women owned less than 1 percent (one in 130) of the nation’s businesses in 2017, even though Black women made up 6.6 percent of the country’s population.”

Ida, Maya, Rosa, Harriet: The Power in Our Names, from The New York Times—“For nearly two centuries, Black women passed on names as remembrances of struggles for freedom, dignity and citizenship. We can find these stories in articles, textbooks, museum exhibits and even popular culture. But the lives of these sheroes are not being newly discovered in the 21st century. Instead, they are inherited from women who handed them down to inspire next generations. Passed along, from mothers to daughters to granddaughters, our names carry with them visions of freedom.”

In Miss Juneteenth, a Mother’s Dream Deferred, from The New Republic—“Though the tension between mother and daughter remains center stage, Miss Juneteenth’s broader subject turns out to be the political economics of surviving as a black woman in Texas.”

How 13 Black Women Are Celebrating Juneteenth This Year, from Cosmopolitan—“Over the years, Americans have honored the day in beautifully diverse ways from participating in Juneteenth parades to attending rodeos to making the journey down to Galveston with their families. But this year is remarkably different than years past. This year, Juneteenth falls amid unprecedented demonstrations and support for the Black Lives Matter movement following the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Oluwatoyin ‘Toyin’ Salau, Dominique ‘Rem’mie’ Fells, Riah Milton, Ahmaud Arbery, and multiple hangings. [...] I’m dedicating the day to signing petitions to demand justice for Black lives and defunding the police, researching which brands I consume that benefit from inhumane prison labor, and discovering more Black-owned businesses. Here's how other Black women are planning to spend the day.”

Women at the Frontlines of COVID-19 Might Be Starting the Gender Role Reversal of the Century

An article from Forbes looks at how the new coronavirus and efforts to fight COVID-19 are affecting women—especially at home, where they’re increasingly wearing many hats as children are home from school. Researchers look at how the crisis could affect men’s and women’s roles at home and at work, from more flexible work arrangements to finally moving closer to equal roles in the home—a development that could benefit women as well as men.

By Brianna Wiest, Forbes

Women are at the helm of fighting COVID-19.

It’s not just that women make up 91% of nurses, 74% of healthcare workers and almost 62% of pharmaceutical professions. Having nearly half of the world’s children home from school means that many mothers are trying to teach, caretake and manage their workload simultaneously.

This is a significant challenge for most families, and is positioning us for an interesting gender role reversal, one that might be unprecedented in this century.

According to new research from Matthias Doepke and Jane Olmstead-Rumsey of Northwestern University, Titan Alon of the University of California San Diego and Michèle Tertilt of the University of Mannheim, the COVID-19 crisis might generate change in gender norms that defines our new “normal” in the decades to come. In the same way that WWII shifted these roles by putting more women in the workforce, COVID-19 is spurring a surge of male caregivers, as women make up the majority of “essential” jobs.

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Women Take the Lead for World Health

Earlier this month we marked World Health Day, and as the world faces a global health threat the spotlight has been on public health and health workers. Through it all we’ve been inspired by women around the world who are taking the lead to save lives and protect communities, by the obstacles overcome and solutions devised by people of all genders, and by those who empower women and citizens of every country as we work to come together like never before. Take care of yourselves and one another during this time, and join us as we look at some amazing women during this difficult time.

What Do Countries With the Best Coronavirus Responses Have in Common? Women Leaders, from Forbes—“Looking for examples of true leadership in a crisis? From Iceland to Taiwan and from Germany to New Zealand, women are stepping up to show the world how to manage a messy patch for our human family. Add in Finland, Iceland and Denmark, and this pandemic is revealing that women have what it takes when the heat rises in our Houses of State. Many will say these are small countries, or islands, or other exceptions. But Germany is large and leading, and the UK is an island with very different outcomes. These leaders are gifting us an attractive alternative way of wielding power.”

COVID-19 Has Been Harder on Women Business Owners. These 11 Resources Can Help, from Fast Company—“With COVID-19 wreaking havoc on the economy, a recent poll from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce showed that 24% of small businesses are just two months away from shuttering permanently, and 11% are less than one month away. And according to American Express, many women-owned businesses work within industries most vulnerable to COVID-19 devastation. 22% of all women-owned businesses are hair salons, nail salons, and pet groomers, and women also own 16% of the hospitality and food service sector.”

She Figured Out How Ford Could Manufacture Coronavirus Face Shields, from Fortune—“There’s a whole host of corporations pitching in to make equipment to combat the coronavirus pandemic. In the latest issue of Fortune, writer Maria Aspan gives us a peek at one of those efforts: Ford’s shift from manufacturing automobiles to producing medical supplies.”

The Secret Weapon in the Fight Against Coronavirus: Women, from The Guardian—“Being a woman doesn’t automatically make you better at handling a global pandemic. Nor does it automatically make you a better leader; suggesting it does reinforces sexist and unhelpful ideas that women are innately more compassionate and cooperative. What is true, however, is that women generally have to be better in order to become leaders; we are held to far higher standards than men. Women are rarely able to fail up in the way men can; you have to be twice as good as a man in order to be taken half as seriously. You have to work twice as hard.”

India’s First Line of Defense Against the Coronavirus Is an Army of 900,000 Women Without Masks or Hand Sanitizer, from Buzzfeed—“The skills and the capacity these women have, the way in which they are familiar with each community’s members — the sick, the elderly, the children — the ASHAs (Accredited Social Health Activists) are the most likely to know when someone is displaying symptoms of coronavirus, has been traveling abroad or is missing from the home. Without them, doctors will be operating blind.”

How These Female Entrepreneurs Are Using Technology to Thrive Amidst COVID-19, from Forbes—“Women starting businesses already experience barriers to entry and a lack of funding compared to men, research indicates. Despite these challenges, many female entrepreneurs have developed creative online strategies to propel their businesses forward during these times of uncertainty. Three women entrepreneurs sat down to discuss how their business is thriving despite the COVID-19 crisis.”

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Inclusion, Inspiration, Lessons, and Leaders: Women Opening Doors and Blazing Trails

As we continue to get a strong start to 2020, we’re following so many stories of women’s leadership—from obstacles to be overcome and inequality that women still face to initiatives empowering women, strategies to get ahead, and inspirational leaders in tech and finance. Check out a few stories below, and keep striving, thriving, and helping one another! 

Melinda Gates Names Chicago First Gender-Inclusive Tech Hub, from Forbes—“Pivotal Ventures is teaming up with with Break Through Tech and SecondMuse to launch GET (Gender Equality in Tech) Cities. Their plan for increasing equality in the burgeoning Chicago tech world is three-fold: getting more women interested in pursuing tech careers, creating an inclusive environment which generates opportunities for these women, and ensuring that women of color are provided the same pathways and opportunities. Here are the details of how they are reinventing the tech hub.”

The Top 10 Mistakes That Keep Women Entrepreneurs From Scaling to $1 Million, from Entrepreneur—“Where are the million-dollar women? In 2018, just 1.7 percent of women-owned businesses generated more than $1 million in revenue, and the challenges are even greater for women of color entrepreneurs. Why is it that even though women own 40 percent of all businesses in the U.S., making "real money" is more the exception than it is the rule? What's getting in our way when it comes to business ideas that make bank?”

LinkedIn Co-Founder Blue Outlines Risks of Blockchain Sexism, from Cointelegraph—“According to The National, the WEF has evaluated that it will take 257 years for women to have the same economic opportunities as men. In contrast, to date, women reportedly account for only 30 percent of tech-related jobs such as AI, blockchain, software engineering and cloud computing.”

How Shelley Zalis Strives to Bring Gender Balance to the Tech World, from VentureBeat—“Technology and automation and AI will eliminate a lot of entry-level positions. Those positions are held by women. That will impact change. When you look at a lot of the predictions of not even filling the pipeline for technology — these are big challenges, but also big opportunities in areas where we need to do a better job of filling the pipeline, making sure we groom the talent from high school through getting into the workplace so we don’t see such a big drop of women, even at the entry level. And it’s why we need more women in tech to begin with. Even though AI is going to automate a lot of jobs, you still need to have human input around how you formulate what you’re looking for.”

The Heroines STEM: Ten Women in Science You Should Know, from CNN—“despite challenges of gender discrimination and lack of recognition in the scientific community, countless inspiring women in these fields have made historic contributions to science and helped advance understanding of the world around us. Many were not recognized in their own lifetimes, but their achievements have helped generations of female scientists to come.”

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Starting the Year Strong

Happy New Year from The State of Women and Women Investing in Women Digital! We hope you are all starting the year strong, healthy, and with clear vision on goals, progress, and challenges for women in the coming year and decade. This week, we've collected just a few stories about women around the world—and whether it's women directors breaking records in the past year, preserving systems that work to empower and raise up women, changing outdated ideas that need to evolve, or new initiatives to promote entrepreneurship for women and girls; we think it's clear that the world's women are looking forward with 20/20 vision!

Female Directors Broke Records in 2019, from Fortune—“(A)t the ceremony, women mostly won in the acting categories, from Phoebe Waller-Bridge to Awkwafina to Michelle Williams (who used her speech to champion reproductive rights). Ellen DeGeneres, with an emotional tribute by Kate McKinnon, was the first person besides Carol Burnett to receive the Carol Burnett Award for outstanding contributions to television. Overall, some talented women accepted golden statues last night—but as awards season continues, hopefully we’ll see more women behind the camera honored, too.”

Challenging Our Gendered Idea of Mentorship, from Harvard Business Review—“The reality is that just as women benefit from male mentors, sponsors, and allies, men also gain from the mentorship, leadership, and sponsorship of women. But stories about women leaders are scarce, and they often narrowly focus on how women help each other. Even more rare are examples of the positive impact women leaders have on the careers and business of men. This imbalance reinforces negative bias about the ability of women to lead and contributes to the scarcity of women at the top.”

Why Professional Networking Groups for Women Remain Valuable, from Fast Company—“What the study shows is that women who focus on making a lot of professional contacts may not necessarily receive the same benefits that men get from doing so. They need to supplement that with closer connections with other women they trust. The study’s authors speculate that these inner networks help not just with finding opportunities, but also by exchanging advice specific to the unique challenges women face.”

Recognizing Workplace Challenges Faced by Black Women Leaders, from Forbes—“Gender bias makes career advancement markedly harder for women than men. But gender bias is not the only discriminatory obstacle women face in their careers. Women whose social identities are different from the dominant workplace expectations—that is, women who are not white, straight, less than 40, and childless—encounter three additional obstacles: having to navigate more precarious lose/lose double binds, being forced to conform to cultural norms that may be at odds with their social identities, and encountering biases in addition to those about gender. These three sorts of obstacles are brought into sharp relief by comparing the workplace experiences of black women and white women.”

What Goes Into the Production of a New Girl Scout Cookie Brand, from Fortune—“‘These messages not only remind girls about the leadership abilities they already possess within them, but they also remind consumers that buying Girl Scout Cookies powers amazing and important experiences for girls,’ Girl Scouts CEO Sylvia Acevedo tells Fortune. ‘Whether it’s through selling the new Lemon-Ups cookie, Lemonades, or any other cookie in our lineup, the Girl Scout Cookie Program fosters a multitude of business and life skills in girls, preparing them to be the ambitious entrepreneurs and leaders of tomorrow.’”

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Giving Thanks for (and Recognition to) Women

The United States celebrates Thanksgiving this Thursday, so we wanted to use this week as an opportunity to highlight good news. Around the world, women are achieving, surviving, discovering, investing, thriving, competing, and helping one another. Please take a minute to check out just a few of their success stories as well as some insights about accomplishments, progress, and recognition. And we’re thankful for each and every one of you, as you join us in recognizing and empowering women every day!

Female STEM Entrepreneurs in Latin America Are Gaining Momentum, from Crunchbase—“Brazil’s Nubank is the largest neobank in the world. Yet few people realize this challenger bank is led by a female co-founder: Cristina Junqueira. [...] Women lead 35 percent of Latin America’s fintech startups. Junqueira is just one example; hundreds of brilliant women are applying to accelerators and competitions around the region to share their ideas as well. There are female founders behind several of Latin America’s top startups, although they are rarely in the limelight. Cristina Randall helped found Mexico’s Conekta, Blanca Trevino is behind Softtek, and Ecuador’s Kushki was co-founded by Madeleine Clavijo; these female co-founders have helped build these companies from the ground up.”

How One Girl’s Survival Should Inspire Us All, from CNN—“Bashar began to ask about my work as an advocate for the Yazidi community, and she asked if she, too, could speak on behalf of our torn Yazidi community. Only one month after her operation, Bashar courageously stood before the European Parliament in Brussels and gave her testimony as a survivor of relentless sexual violence under ISIS captivity. [...] We ask you to listen to Bashar's story. Seek out the voices of those who cannot be heard and amplify their message to your communities. We will not rest until every woman and girl is freed from the bonds of violence.”

Women’s Key to Business Success – Bragging More, from Forbes—“Not only does it feel tiring to explain Kuli Kuli’s many accomplishments, I also worry that whoever I’m talking to will find me arrogant. In fact, research shows the opposite. The same study on self-promotion showed that both men and women enjoy hearing women talk about their accomplishments, from achieving their goals to commanding respect in their fields. We all want to be inspired, and not just from the people onstage. Learning about other women’s successes, particularly women who are more advanced in their careers, inspires me to work harder and dream more.”

Badass Millennial Women Are Supercharging Startup Investments, from TechCrunch—“These companies are only viable because so many women — beginning with millennials but expanding out to the rest of us — are now willing and able to invest in themselves. United across a shared mission of female empowerment and inclusivity, She-onomy 2.0 is making it more realistic than ever to empower us to advance our careers, feel good about ourselves and stay healthy.”

Leading a Female Research Team, from Nature Middle East—“Members of my lab team have often come to me questioning their self-worth, wondering whether they are good enough and if they deserve their success. My challenge as lab head is to acknowledge the inconsistency between perception and the reality that women in STEMM leadership positions can inspire female researchers to self-validate, push beyond their comfort zone and own their worth.”

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Shooting for the Stars: Women Thrive in Traditionally Male-Dominated Fields

The cancelling of the first all-women spacewalk—not because the astronauts were unqualified, but because there was a shortage of spacesuits to accommodate the entire team—has prompted a lot of talk about women in space recently. As we mark the International Day of Human Space Flight this Friday, conversation continues to focus on women’s competence, contributions, and expertise in space; as well as in countless other fields that have traditionally been dominated by men. Today we look at just a few stories about women thriving in male-dominated fields, and how welcoming women to any industry is a triumph for women—as well as the fields themselves.

A Place for Women in Space, from Foreign Policy—“’Even as female astronaut candidates prove their competence and ability, and as spacesuits and other equipment [are] adapted for them, they are still working in the context of a legacy that has been predominantly male,’ said Shawna Pandya, a Canadian physician and citizen-scientist astronaut candidate. “We are thus working in a system with an unconscious male bias, which is nearly universal.’ [...]  a gendered lag persists in the design of the organization’s mission tools, which can sometimes see women struggle—literally—to fit in. This is by no means unique to NASA and is reflected across the space science industry.”

Trailblazers: Women in Rwanda Rise as Leaders in Male-Dominated Professions, from the Pulitzer Center—“Once living under a strict patriarchal society, Rwandan women are emerging as business leaders in male-dominated professions such as agriculture—defying the status quo of gender in a post-genocide era.”

Women Leaders on ‘Getting It Done’ in Male-Dominated Industries, from PCMA Convene—“Don’t be afraid to be your authentic self. Sometimes you feel a little uncomfortable, [since] as women we are told that certain roles are not made for us, we don’t belong here. … But when you are yourself and you can stand in your own truth, you know where you belong and that’s your power.”

Notre Dame’s McGraw Wants More Women in Positions of Power, from Associated Press News—“When you look at men’s basketball, 99 percent of the jobs go to men, why shouldn’t 100 or 99 percent of the jobs in women’s basketball go to women? Maybe it’s because we only have 10 percent women athletic directors in Division I. People hire people who look like them. That’s the problem.” [...] “How are these young women looking up and seeing someone that looks like them, preparing them for the future? We don’t have enough female role models. We don’t have enough visible women leaders. We don’t have enough women in power.”

The Female Architects—Surviving the Journey to the Top, from Archinect—“As more women take the stage in the architectural industry, women following in their footsteps can find both inspiration and knowledge to succeed in their careers. [...] (Danish architect Dorte) Mandrup makes the point that she does not want to be referred to as a ‘female architect.’ Instead, she wants to be known as an architect—one whose work can compare with the creativity of any male without having the additional label attached. She believes that until women stop getting referred to as ‘female architects,’ true equality within the industry cannot happen.”

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Brie Larson’s New Netflix Film Tackles Sexism in Internet Startups

Brie Larson is best known at the moment for portraying Captain Marvel in the upcoming superhero movie (out next month on International Women's Day), but she's also set to portray a real-life hero in a movie highlighting gender discrimination in entrepreneurship. Click through to read more about women entrepreneurs at the center of the story, their company, the discrimination they faced, and Larson's involvement in the project.

By Saqib Shah

Brie Larson is set to star in a Netflix movie that highlights startup sexism as part of a two-film deal with the streaming service. Lady Business is based on a Fast Company article about two female entrepreneurs who invented a fake male cofounder in order to be taken seriously in the patriarchal business world.

Penelope Gazin and Kate Dwyer spoke of how they'd faced condescension from male developers when launching their weird art e-commerce site 'Witchsy." But that all changed when the fictional "Keith Mann" was magicked into existence. "It was like night and day," Dwyer told Fast Company in 2017. "It would take me days to get a response, but Keith could not only get a response and a status update, but also be asked if he wanted anything else or if there was anything else that Keith needed help with."

Fast forward to today, and Silicon Valley is still grappling with gender discrimination and harassment issues. In 2018, Google employees forced the tech giant to update its sexual misconduct policies after staging mass protests. And Uber agreed to pay 56 employees a total of $1.9 million for harassment claims.

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Honoring the Power and Progress of Black Women

The United States is observing Black History Month all February with stories, discussions, celebrations and more honoring the lives and works of black people as we continue the fight for equality—and the success, strength, and talent of black women is often front and center. Here are a few articles that caught our eye this week.

How This Digital Influencer Is Adding More Seats to the Table, from Forbes—“My hope is that eventually there are many more women of color who can create their own events and get consulting gigs with these companies. You can’t make a change if you aren’t in the rooms where decisions are being made.”

Meet ‘Black Girl Magic,’ the 19 African-American Women Elected As Judges in Texas, from NPR—“This cycle, Harris County also saw record numbers of Hispanic-American, Asian-American and LGBT candidates. And the more such candidates win, the more it encourages younger people of diverse backgrounds to believe they can do the same.”

Black Women Are Making a Name for Themselves As Tech Entrepreneurs, from USA Today—“We’re in a moment right now, black women, black women founders, Latinx women founders—we’re in a moment where people care. Our goal at digitalundivided is to turn that moment into a movement.”

100+ Books by Black Women That Should Be Essential Reading for Everyone, from PopSugar—“Diverse literature is more essential than ever in today's current climate. Books are some of the best tools for developing tolerance and empathy, and few books are as rich and nuanced as those penned by black women.”

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Turning Michelle Obama’s ‘Becoming’ Into a Class Curriculum for Black Girls

Michelle Obama’s role in inspiring and influencing women and girls—especially black women and girls—can hardly be overstated. Now Lauren Christine Mims, who works to correct obstacles and inequalities faced by black girls and explores “how social environments influence how Black girls learn, interact, and define their identities in early adolescence” according to her website, is turning Obama's bestseller Becoming into an affirming, validating curriculum to support black girls. From representation to personal growth, the curriculum will nurture black girls in their learning and development. It will also include discussions and films featuring black girls in leading roles. Click through to read the full article on Black Enterprise, and see the syllabus here.

by Kandia Johnson

Lauren Christine Mims is a former assistant director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans and a Ph.D. candidate in Educational Psychology at the University of Virginia. She’s also one of the many women inspired by Michelle Obama’s Becoming, a New York Times best-selling book that sold more than 1.4 million copies within the first seven days of its release. Now, Mims is turning Obama’s book into a curriculum for black girls to further their learning and development.

“Reading Becoming was like sitting on the couch with your best friend and having one of those soulful conversations about life,” said Mims.

“Reading about how Michelle Obama felt unchallenged in elementary school, teased for the way she spoke, and noticed a difference in how she was perceived during adolescence was affirming.”

Mims hopes the Becoming curriculum will make space for black girls to thrive in a world that often seems to try and deny their humanity. As part of her doctoral research at the University of Virginia, Mims explores what it means to be a young, gifted, black girl in school.

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Image credit: Black Enterprise

Bozoma Saint John Will Star in Her Own Documentary Series

Marketing sensation Bozoma Saint John will star in her own documentary series set to air on Starz. The series will feature personal and professional lessons, with insights from Saint John as well as others, emphasizing an overall message of showing up “wholly as ourselves,”—a push for authenticity, especially for people who might feel like outsiders. It's a message Saint John lives out daily, as a member of various minority or underrepresented groups and a trailblazer who has taken unconventional paths toward her current success.

The series will explore the diverse parts of Saint John's own identity—a child of immigrants from Ghana, a black woman, a mother, a widow—as well as issues personal and professional, and how they affect and can be influenced by her life and the lives of others. Everything from her love of fashion to how to be a nontraditional corporate executive will be explored with Saint John's own unique flair.

Click through to learn more about the documentary in the full article from Fast Company.

By Nicole Laporte

Bozoma Saint John, who has risen to business celebrity status thanks to her work for PepsiCo, Beats, Apple, Uber, and Endeavor, is now burnishing her personal brand.

The marketing star, who’s currently CMO of the global media conglomerate Endeavor, will host and produce the upcoming documentary series Bozoma: Being Badass on the Starz network.

Saint John describes the show as a cross between Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, Mister Rogers, and The Oprah Winfrey Show, telling Fast Company that it will bring a sense of “purposefulness” to a range of topics that span her personal and professional life, from her love of fashion to the challenges of being a single, working mother and widow. (The show comes by the Bourdain comparison honestly: No Reservations‘ Alex Lowry is an executive producer on Bozoma. Anjula Acharia is also exec producing.)

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Forbes Highlights World’s Most Powerful Women in 2018

Forbes capped off the year with a feature on women leaders around the world. Including women who head companies, business empires, countries, and global financial stability; these chairwomen, CEOs, political leaders, philanthropists, media moguls, lawmakers, tech innovators and more are shaping the world of today and tomorrow. Click through to read profiles on each woman, as well as quotes from powerful women about how women at the top inspire, influence, and lead. Check out the full list here.

Edited By Christina Vuleta

Change is rippling through the business, tech, entertainment, philanthropic and political spheres alike. The 2018 World’s 100 Most Powerful Women list celebrates the icons, innovators and instigators who are using their voice to change power structures and create a lasting impact.

This year, the 15th annual list welcomes 20 newcomers, but what’s notable is who’s moved out, up and down, making way for emerging leaders who are redefining the chief seat and bringing others along with them. We see more change ahead.

Image credit: Forbes

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The Secret to Success No One Tells Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneur, author, and angel investor Kim Perell had a rocky start in business. After her business went bankrupt when she was just 23, many in her life were less than encouraging and she started her next venture from a cluttered kitchen table. Still, Perell says, one quality helped her push through and succeed—growing and ultimately selling her company twice, and going on to invest in over 70 startups.

"The one thing that separates success from failure is execution, and execution is a skill that can be learned," Perell says.

Click through to watch the video of a speech in which Perell tells her story and also lays out some fo the traits of execution, which she covers in more depth in her book, "The Execution Factor: The One Skill that Drives Success."

By Entrepreneur Staff

Kim Perell's first business venture left her bankrupt and lost, but she didn't give up. She had a big idea for online marketing, and when the banks refused to offer her a loan, she reached out to her grandmother. And though her grandmother didn't know much about internet marketing -- or even about the internet, for that matter -- she gave her $10,000 to try a fresh start.

For three years, Perell did her best to cut costs and build her business, before eventually selling it to Amobee for $235 million. In this video, Perell breaks down the key to her rebound and success: execution.

Image credit: Screenshot, Entrepreneur

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Most Gen Z Girls and Women Lack a Key Success Lesson in Their Education

Competition is key: That the finding of a new study from Girls With Impact, a nonprofit organization dedicated to equipping girls to launch and lead projects and businesses.

Many girls lack opportunities to work as a team and to compete as they grow and learn—and the omission often carries over into young adulthood, higher education, and the business world. According to the survey, only 22 percent of students in venture competitions in business school were women—even though when they did compete, they thrived: Top-ranking teams had women founders and CEOs 51 and 32 percent of the time, respectively.

Click through to read more on the importance of competition, as well as how role models can influence girls and women to compete, the role of confidence and underrepresentation, and why thriving in competitions can help women succeed in business.

By Eric Rosenbaum

There's long been Girls Scouts and sports, but too many young women aren't exposed to teamwork and competition at an early age, and that will hurt them as they seek jobs in a shifting workplace. The problem is not limited to girls in middle and high school. A new study of female business students shows that women don't opt into what is being judged by their own professors and corporate hiring managers as the most important part of B-school education: not books, but competitions.

Women represented just 22 percent of students participating in venture competitions, but when they do compete, female students succeed. Of the ranking teams (first, second and third place) in competitions, 51 percent had a woman founder and 32 percent had a woman CEO.

The study from Girls with Impact included data on six years of college venture competitions in which there were 1,454 participants and 535 teams comprised of student from freshman to Ph.D level. across three universities — University of Connecticut, UCLA and Rice University.

Image credit: Hero Images | Getty Images

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Five Women Entrepreneurs on Why They’re Considering Political Runs

Leadership in business might lead to political leadership, at least for some women. A survey of women founders conducted by Fast Company and Inc. found that an increasing number of women said they were considering a run for office.

Several women CEOs and founders discuss the connection between business and political campaigns, the importance of speaking up, political platforms that matter to them, bringing issues of women and other underrepresented groups to the forefront, and why the country and world need women's voices and leadership. Click through to read the full interview.

By Pavithra Mohan

Can running a business be a launchpad for a career in politics? The 2016 election would indicate yes. But looking past Trump, a number of entrepreneurs have been drawn to the political arena recently, from Giant Spacekat CEO Brianna Wu to Chrissy Houlahan, who helped start nonprofit organization B Lab.

And this year has seen a record number of women running for congressional seats, with 255 women on the ballot in November as major party candidates and the rise of upstart progressives like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ayanna Pressley.

In a recent survey conducted by Fast Company and Inc., we heard from nearly 300 female founders and entrepreneurs on issues like fundraising and the discrimination they faced as women leaders. We also asked about their political leanings and activism, and whether the political climate might nudge them to run for office. Here’s what some of the founders who are making their businesses political—and might eventually make politics their business–had to say about running for office.

Image credit: jacoblund | iStock

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