Women's News: How Mexico elected a woman president

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Here’s what’s on the rise today…

Spotlight

Claudia Sheinbaum was elected president of Mexico, making her the first woman in the position. 

• She’s in good company in the Mexican government — women make up half of the legislature, not to mention lead the Supreme Court, both houses of Congress, the central bank, and the departments of education, economy, public security, foreign relations, and the interior. 

• The election has left many spectators, particularly in the U.S., asking how Mexico achieved so much gender parity despite its macho culture and history of violence against women. The answer? Through deliberate, measured action:

  • At the urging of female politicians and activists, Congress adopted quotas for women in government positions. 

  • In 2019, Mexico passed a constitutional amendment that established parity goals across all three government branches.

• As a result, “women’s political participation is normalized” and gender wasn’t seen as a dominant issue in the presidential election. 

Still, the country grapples with issues like gender-based violence and a significant pay gap, and many hope Sheinbaum’s leadership will usher in much-needed changes.

Business and Tech

• BuzzBalls, the circular, neon-colored cocktail bottles near the checkout counter at your local liquor store, just struck it big thanks to over a decade of work by its female founder. Launched in 2010 by former public school teacher Merrilee Kick, the pre-mixed drinks business was recently acquired in an all-cash deal estimated to be worth $500 million.

  • Merrilee Kick isn’t the only woman making a splash in the beverage industry. Fawn Weaver built the whiskey company Uncle Nearest, which is now the best-selling Black-owned and run spirits brand of all time. 

• Attempting to understand how AI depicts female attractiveness, The Washington Post asked multiple image generation tools to produce pictures of a “beautiful woman.”

  • It turns out AI’s definition of beauty is remarkably similar to that of America’s Next Top Model’s judging panel — thin, young, light- to medium-skinned, with long, flowing hair and a low-cut top. Only 9% of the images featured dark skin tones, and a meager 2% showed any signs of aging.

• After three years in the role, Sally Buzbee stepped down as executive editor of The Washington Post. She was the first woman to run the publication.

Politics

• The Texas Supreme Court rejected a challenge to the state’s abortion ban, upholding the law that plaintiffs claimed does not sufficiently define medical exceptions. 

• In her first interview since the Trump hush money verdict, Stormy Daniels gave her suggestion for the former president’s sentence — jail plus community service as the “volunteer punching bag at a women’s shelter.” She also urged Melania Trump to leave her husband now that he is a convicted felon.

Sports

• An investigation by the New York Times found that women mountaineers frequently face sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior during climbs, including from well-known climbers like Nirmal Purja.

• Women scored record-setting victories in major tournaments: 

  • Simone Biles won the U.S. Gymnastics National Championships for the ninth time.  

  • Yuka Saso clinched the U.S. Women’s Open golf tournament, making her the youngest golfer to land the title twice.

Culture

• New biographies spotlight women who were pioneers in their respective industries: 

  • The Editor profiles publishing titan Judith Jones, who we can thank for bringing us Julia Child’s cookbooks and Anne Frank’s diary.

  • Traveling: On the Path of Joni Mitchell highlights how the storied songwriter made music “with, about, for, and despite the boys” around her.

• Madonna is being sued for “pornography without warning” at her Celebration world tour. Among other complaints, the disgruntled concertgoer alleges he was “forced to watch topless women on stage simulating sex acts”.