Women's News: Why is everyone suddenly demure?

Hello risers! I hope you’re ready for a jam-packed issue. Here’s what on the rise this week:

Spotlight

• An explosive new TikTok trend appears to poke fun at traditional definitions of femininity. Beauty influencer Jools Lebron, a trans woman, went viral for her advice on how to be “demure” in various public spaces. 

  • A word that might be at home in a Jane Austen novel, “demure” means modest, shy, and self-controlled, and is typically used to describe women.

  • In videos covering everything from being demure at work to boarding a plane demurely, Lebron shows her followers how to be “mindful,” “cutesy,” and generally unobtrusive (often followed by a wink, dance, or other decidedly non-demure behavior).

  • Brands and influencers are leaping on the virality. NASA, United Airlines, Dunkin’ Donuts, and even the White House have all taken to social media to show just how demure they are.

  • But despite its comedic tone, some observers see the trend as an important criticism of the societal expectation that women be reserved and modest. One influencer described it as a “commentary on how, according to longstanding patriarchal beliefs, femininity is only found attractive if it’s agreeable and easy to look at.”

World

• In India, a nationwide strike has erupted after a female resident doctor was raped and murdered at her workplace. The incident has mobilized women’s rights activists and highlighted the persistent dangers Indian women face in professional spaces.

  • In response, the government announced the creation of a task force to recommend workplace safety guidelines in the healthcare sector.

• Venezuelans are also taking to the streets—opposition leader María Corina Machado led protests in Caracas against Nicolás Maduro's disputed presidential election win (read more about the post-election crisis here).

• More Ukrainian women are filling traditionally male-dominated blue-collar roles. Facing a national worker shortage caused by the war, the government rolled out a program allowing women to receive free vocational training, leading many like Yuliia Kuzmina to join the workforce.

Business and Tech

• A group of nuns in rural Kansas is challenging corporate giants like Google, Chevron, and Amazon through persistent shareholder activism. Armed with small investments, they push companies to make changes like increasing AI governance and promoting greater diversity in leadership.

• Two major diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) groups, Girls in Tech and Women Who Code, have recently shut down after reduced funding and growing political backlash. The closures reflect a broader trend as some tech companies distance themselves from diversity programs.

• Victoria’s Secret will have a woman at the helm again. Hillary Super is set to replace Martin Waters as CEO, and shareholders hope her experience leading companies like Savage X Fenty will boost sales for the struggling lingerie brand.

• Spanx founder Sara Blakely unveiled her next entrepreneurial venture: sneakers with heels. The launch of Sneex garnered mixed reactions, with some expressing skepticism while others applauded the effort to blend comfort and professionalism.

Politics

• On the second night of the Democratic National Convention, Michelle and Barack Obama supported Kamala Harris with humor, hope, and swipes at Donald Trump. Harris is currently leading national polls by one percentage point.

• Rep. Ilhan Omar, a prominent member of the progressive group of lawmakers known as the "Squad," won the Democratic primary in Minnesota, defeating centrist challenger Don Samuels. 

• Voters in Arizona will decide in November whether to cement abortion rights in their state constitutions. Democrats hope to leverage the issue to increase voter turnout in a key swing state in the presidential election.

Healthcare

• Two women in Texas have filed complaints against hospitals that refused to perform abortions for ectopic pregnancies, a potentially life-threatening condition that results in miscarriage.

• Meanwhile, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham wrote an open letter to Texan OBGYNs inviting them to practice in her state, where she said they are “fiercely committed to protecting medical freedoms.”

Sports

• Jordan Chiles has “no plans” to return her Olympic bronze medal after her Romanian competitor was formally awarded the prize on Friday. With the Court of Arbitration for Sports refusing to reconsider the decision to revoke Chiles’ medal, USA Gymnastics said it will appeal the decision to the Swiss high court.

• In another Olympic controversy, boxer Imane Khelif has filed a harassment complaint after facing online abuse and false claims about her gender following her gold medal win at the Paris games.

Culture

• After noticing the lack of Black culture and history in popular crossword puzzles, Juliana Pache created her own. Now, a year and a half after launching blackcrossword.com, Pache published her first book, Black Crossword: 100 Mini Puzzles Celebrating the African Diaspora.

• Star podcaster Alex Cooper jumped the Spotify ship, signing a three-year, $125 million deal with SiriusXM as her new advertising and distribution partner.

• Blake Lively is facing backlash for promoting her new film It Ends With Us as a "chick flick," with critics arguing she trivializes its serious themes of domestic violence.