💌 Women's Political Leadership on the Rise
FemWealth Issue #39
Happy Sunday, FemWealth Friends!
What an exceptional week for women in politics!
In a grand ceremony held on Monday, the Caribbean island Barbados became the world's newest republic, severing ties with its old imperial rulers 55 years after winning its independence. Replacing Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state, Sandra Mason, who had served as the island's governor-general (Queen's representative), was sworn in as the country's first president. Elected by the Parliament last month, Mason will have a largely ceremonial role, with PM Mia Mottley holding executive powers.
“Vessel Republic Barbados has set sail on her maiden voyage. May she weather all storms and land our country and citizens safely on the horizons and shores which are ahead of us.”- Dame Sandra Mason
The country also named artist and businesswoman Robyn Rihanna Fenty (aka Rihanna), a national hero for “her extraordinary commitment to the land of her birth.” She was previously named an ambassador by her home country in 2018.
Sweden elected its first female prime minister, Magdalena Andersson, who has previously served as Finance Minister. On Tuesday, she presented her one-party center-left minority government with only a few changes compared to the previously failed coalition. The new cabinet is gender-balanced.
In Honduras, the opposition candidate, democratic socialist Xiomara Castro, won the elections, becoming the country's first female president and unseating the conservative ruling party. She ran on an anti-corruption platform promising to end what she deemed a narco-state.
In South Africa, three of its eight biggest municipalities - Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni, and Nelson Mandela Bay - elected women mayors, a significant advance for gender equity at the local government level.
There’s a long way to go to achieve equal representation in politics. Great to see progress in many parts of the world!
FemWealth Favorites ❤️
Business Leadership: Zara owner Inditex names Marta Ortega Pérez, daughter of founder Amancio Ortega as chairwoman - Ortega has been with the firm for 15 years, starting out as a sales assistant.| Disney names Susan Arnold as board chair, replacing Bob Iger | Female founders are crashing the billionaire club 👇
💃🏾 Janet Rollé Make History As First Black CEO Of The American Ballet Theater - Rollé has previously served as executive vice president and chief marketing officer at CNN Worldwide, and general manager of Beyoncé’s Parkwood Entertainment
“Through dance, I learned how to be a professional, the value of discipline and technique, and my love for the creative process. These lessons have always been at the core of my professional life and work.” - Janet Rollé
Women’s wealth & economy: The Hot New Trend For Hedge Funds Is—Finally—Female Founders | Goldman Tells Investors to Bet on Gender Equality for Bigger Bond Returns | Jefa raises $2 million to offer digital accounts for women in LATAM - the company founded and led by Emma Smith - plans to roll out its product in Mexico first, then Colombia and Central America | How Herconomy raised a $600,000 pre-seed round in 24 hours - the Nigerian startup, founded and led by Ife Durosinmi-Etti, empowers women through financial services, capacity building, jobs, and networking
Women’s Health: Covid Exacerbated Racial Inequities in Health Care. Can Startups Help? - In the US, Health in Her Hue connects Black women and women of color to culturally competent healthcare providers, health content, and community. | Babyscripts, a Washington, DC-based virtual care platform for managing obstetrics, raised $7.5m bringing its Series B funding to $19M to date. | The Bigger Picture: An Investor’s Perspective On Medtech Opportunities 👇
💸 Vinehealth, offering digital support for cancer patients and SaaS for R&D, gets $5.5M to launch in the US - co-founded by Rayna Patel and Georgina Kirby
👏 The FT’s 25 most influential women of 2021 - the stellar list includes Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organization, Gita Gopinath, Chief Economist of the IMF, Tsai Ing-Wen, President of Taiwan, Naomi Osaka, Athlete
👏 FORBES 30 UNDER 30 LIST 2022 [North America] - highlights: Celine Halioua, Founder of Loyal, Christina Bailey-Hytholt, Researcher, Marianne Gonzalez, Engineer, Paige Doherty, Investor, Shuo Chen, Investor, Meagan Loyst, Investor, Amanda Gorman, Poet, Alexandra Cooper, Podcaster
👏 Bloomberg 50: The people and ideas that defined global business in 2021 - highlights: Karen Lynch, President & CEO of CVS Health Corp, Olivia Rodrigo, Singer, Allyson Felix, Athlete, Frances Haugen, Whistleblower, Falguni Nayar, Founder of Nykaa
❓Will venture capital get cancelled by Gen Z?
“Entrepreneurs are already choosing their investors for more reasons than only the cash they provide. They are choosing them for the repercussions on their own brand’s reputation and for a shared set of values. VCs would do well to anticipate the demands of this new generation.” - Majdoline Wahbi, Associate at Paris-based VC firm XAnge
🤰🏻What they never tell you: Team planning and communication as a pregnant CEO - Romanie Thomas, founder and CEO of Juggle shares how she planned the handover before going on maternity leave
🤓 Magic Leap CEO Peggy Johnson outlines where AR will have the biggest impact
Web3 🐇🕳️: A Normie’s Guide to Becoming a Crypto Person. How to (cautiously and skeptically) fall down the rabbit hole. | Beauty in the metaverse: Where it’s heading - Vogue unpacks the best practices for beauty brands.
⚖️ Meghan Markle’s Latest Court Victory Is Just the Beginning
“While this win is precedent setting, what matters most is that we are now collectively brave enough to reshape a tabloid industry that conditions people to be cruel and profits from the lies and pain that they create.” - Meghan Markle
👏 Josephine Baker is the first Black woman to be inducted into France's Pantheon - the American-born entertainer and civil rights activist is the first performing artist, first Black woman and first American to be honored with a Pantheon induction - France’s highest honor. Legendary!
🎾 Peng Shuai: WTA announces immediate suspension of tournaments in China - The organization’s chief has “serious doubts” that Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai is “free, safe and not subject to intimidation.”
"If powerful people can suppress the voices of women and sweep allegations of sexual assault under the rug, then the basis on which the WTA was founded - equality for women - would suffer an immense setback.” - WTA chief Steve Simon
Things to Ponder On
‘It’s like hell in here’: The struggle to save Afghanistan's starving babies
“Whenever these women leave our hospital with their babies, I keep thinking about them. They don't have any money, they can't afford to buy food.”
“Even I don't have enough food to eat as a doctor - I can't afford it and have almost finished all my savings. I don't know why I still come to work. Every morning I ask myself this question. But maybe it's because I'm still hopeful of a better future.” - Dr. Nuri
The situation is also grim in war-torn Yemen and Ethiopia. In several countries in Latin America and the Caribbean people struggle with food insecurity.
The main perpetrators of violence against female MPs in Africa are male MPs
“Sexual violence [against] women parliamentarians…begins as soon as the parliament opens. […] The problem is that most of our men still believe they are the leaders and the women are secondary.” - Hon. Winnie Kiiza, a Ugandan MP who served as the country’s first female leader of the opposition from 2016-2018 (via Quartz)
Across the globe, sexual harassment of female MPs is widespread.
Reproductive Rights: The Betrayal of Roe | Why Amy Coney Barrett’s questions about adoption worry abortion rights activists - In the US, the fight for reproductive rights continues.
Elizabeth Holmes can be two things at once
“We can believe Holmes' testimony that Balwani abused her and still contend she also breached her duty to her company and the public -- and that surviving abuse isn't a blanket get-out-of-jail-free card for fraud.” - Jill Filipovic
WHEN MULTILEVEL MARKETING MET GEN Z. Amelia Whelan used social media as an accelerant for her sales community. Then things blew up. - Beware of get-rich-quick schemes on the Web, many of which are targeting women!
Queen of Clean - A Hotel Housekeeper On Her Life and Work
“The mass industrialization of the hotel industry meant more jobs, and from 1870 to halfway through the 20th century, the number of women employed as domestic workers increased dramatically—but their salaries did not. […] These women are often doing labor that is precarious, invisible, and taken for granted.”
FemWealth Recommended Events 📅
State of European Tech 2021, December 7
2021 Forbes Power Women’s Summit, December 9
Thank you for reading FemWealth! Wish you a fabulous start to the holiday season!
Anamaria
Founder and Writer of FemWealth