Women's News Wrap

Hello and welcome to Friday! It’s been another big week for women in the news, so without further ado…

Here’s what’s on the rise this week:

World

• In Indonesia, an all-female metal band is gaining popularity by challenging gender stereotypes and inspiring young women. The three members of Voice of Baceprot, all hijab-wearing, practicing Muslims, spread their message through songs like “[Not] Public Property.” 

• The Taliban wants to attract tourists to Afghanistan even as it cracks down on regulation of women’s clothing, education, and more. One complication? How it will handle foreign women whose behaviors clash with these restrictions. 

• A 98-year-old Ukrainian woman walked six miles, accompanied only by her slippers and cane, to reunite with her family after they were separated while escaping Russian-occupied territory.

U.S.

• Harvey Weinstein will get a new rape trial in September after his 2020 conviction was overturned by a New York appeals court. One of his victims attended the new trial hearing "to show she's not backing down.”

Business

• A lawsuit will decide whether one venture capital fund can invest exclusively in startups run by women of color. Arian Simon, founder of the Fearless Fund, believes that race-specific investing is essential to combat inequity, while her legal opponent claims this practice is discriminatory. 

• Two key women are leaving Tesla this week; Rebecca Tinucci, head of its EV charging division, was fired alongside most of her 500-person team, and HR lead Allie Arebalo is exiting under unclear circumstances.

• Fashion brand Express filed for bankruptcy, and The Washington Post reflected on the “sisterhood” of aspiring professional women who wore Express pants as “an assurance that you and millions of other young women were in it together, even if you were still figuring it out.”

Tech

• Performer FKA Twigs found a new way to get more done—creating an AI deepfake of herself. The chatbot, trained to mimic Twigs’ personality and tone, will tackle tasks like social media interactions so Twigs can spend more time making art. 

• Bumble is changing its signature women-first approach to dating. With the new “Opening Moves” feature, men will be able to initiate by responding to a question that women pose for all their matches to answer. 

• Machine learning technology may be able to detect postpartum depression through a blood test. Startup Dionysus Digital Health aims to screen for the condition, which impacts one in seven mothers, before symptoms develop.

Healthcare

• As of Wednesday, Florida prohibits abortions after six weeks, which experts say is before many women realize they’re pregnant.

  • Florida voters will have a chance to challenge the ban in November when they’ll cast ballots on a referendum to protect abortion rights in the state’s constitution.

  • Either way, Democrats hope the ban will galvanize young voters in the presidential election.

• Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs finalized a repeal of the state’s 1864 abortion ban, meaning the procedure will remain legal before 15 weeks. But it could be months before the repeal takes effect, leaving a window where the near-total ban can be enforced in the state. 

• Women should get mammograms every other year starting at age 40, according to new guidelines, ten years earlier than the previous recommendation.

Sports

• The Sports Bra, a pub whose TVs show only women’s sports, announced plans to expand nationwide. The Oregon-based bar has seen unprecedented success amid the rising interest in women’s athletics.

Culture

• This year’s nominations for the Tony Awards, which celebrate Broadway theater, beat the record for the most women recognized in the directors’ category.

• Drew Barrymore drew criticism after lightheartedly asking Kamala Harris to be the country’s “Momala” during the VP’s talkshow appearance. 

  • This opinion piece said it best: “That she [Harris] would be called upon to comfort and nurture the country, rather than dutifully represent it, is demeaning and holds Black women captive to historical mythologies. Our country may indeed need moral guidance and collective counsel, but Black women are not obligated to provide it.”

Further Reading