Gender
Emily Harrington becomes fourth woman to free-climb El Capitan in one day
While the rest of the world was watching the US election unfold last Wednesday, Emily Harrington was facing El Capitan in Yosemite. By the end of the day, she became the fourth woman to ever free-climb, or scale without ropes, the giant granite face. Alex Honnold drew attention to the Read More...
Burial site shows men were not always the hunters in prehistoric society
Traditional assumptions about prehistoric society placed males in hunting roles and women as gatherers. A new study from the University of California, Davis upends this archaeological thinking with the discovery of what looks like the remains of a 9,000 year old female hunter found in the Andean Read More...
Study: Reproductive autonomy and infant health go hand in hand
There are a multitude of factors that affect fetal and infant health including access to medical care, socioeconomic status, and environmental factors, but a new study from the University of California, Los Angeles Fielding School of Public Health has narrowed down the relationship between Read More...
NASA’s 2024 mission will see first woman astronaut on the Moon
NASA is going back to the Moon, but this time around, there will be a woman stepping foot on the lunar surface. Recently, the American space agency formally outlined its $28 billion plan to return to the Moon in 2024, with the mission being called Artemis. The plan involves sending both a man and Read More...
Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A legacy of justice and optimism
At The Optimist Daily, we share solutions to promote a culture of determined optimism. This week, we are celebrating the life and legacy of one of the world’s most inspirational determined optimists: Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Ginsburg, who passed away September 18 at the age Read More...
Data shows we could elect record numbers of women to the House in 2020
In 2018, the US set a national record with 108 women being elected to the House of Representatives. In 2020, we are on track to surpass that milestone with a surge of victories by women in primaries across the country. More than 30 states have held their primaries so far and more women have Read More...
Indian company tackles taboo by introducing paid leave for periods
How many days a month have you missed work or requested a day off for stomach pains and cramps because of menstruation? This is the question one of India’s largest food-delivery firms, Zomato, put to its 4,000 employees, 35 percent of whom are women, in announcing a new paid period leave policy Read More...
Victoria will offer free menstrual products in all public schools
In a big win for women’s health, the Victorian state government in Australia has announced that it will offer free menstrual products in all public schools. The initiative is a first for Australia and will make tampons and pads available across all 1,500 government schools. The initiative aims Read More...
New Zealand passes historic bill to ensure pay equity between men and women
In 2017, New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern promised to fix legislation aimed at addressing historic inequalities in pay for women. Following up on her promise, the country’s parliament has unanimously passed an Equal Pay Amendment Bill that ensures workers are not paid less because Read More...
This all-female expedition team is diving into ocean plastics research
We recently shared a story about Ocean Voyage Institute completing the largest ocean clean up to date. Now, another crew is exploring the ocean’s five garbage-collecting gyres to learn more about plastic pollution and its impact. Even more unique, the crew is made up entirely of women. The Read More...