”Women Business Owners”
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee (Embedded above)
Last week, we cheered when the U.S. government reached its goal of awarding at least 5 percent of federal contract funds to women-led ventures in a given year. The milestone was very long in coming, so worth a bit of celebrating. But this week, comedian Samantha Bee, formerly of The Daily Show and now host her own late-night show on TBS, reminded us that the whole thing is really rather sad. Her segment is brief, but contains several laugh-out-loud moments that tap the frustration many of us feel that such a meager goal was so elusive.
Women’s Footprint in History
UN Women
This interactive scroll throughout history — starting as far back as 400 BC — is as fascinating as it is visually beautiful. Light music, historic anecdotes and powerful messages guide viewers through a comprehensive list of pioneering women from across time and all corners of the globe. It’s a great, innovative way of using technology to tell a captivating story, and we highly recommend taking a few minutes to peruse what UN Women has put together.
The Young Women Who Hunt South Africa’s Poachers — Unarmed
Laura Mallonee, Wired (Photos by Julia Gunther)
We loved this look at a predominantly female anti-poaching unit in South Africa — complete with bold, gorgeous imagery. The Black Mambas, as they are known, patrol areas popular with animal poachers without the aid of weapons, using only their intelligence and combat training to protect rhinos and other wildlife. “We are fighting for the animals and showing people that women can be beautiful and strong,” one member of the unit told photographer Gunther.
The Dangers of Being a Female Sportscaster
Richard Sandomir and John Branch, The New York Times
In this piece, the court case of sports reporter Erin Andrews is a jumping-off point for a larger examination of the precarious world of women sportscasters. These women, we learn, often grapple with inappropriate remarks and menacing behavior from overzealous members of predominantly male audiences. “Female newscasters and celebrities have long faced harassment and threats,” note Sandomir and Branch. “But some sportscasters work in highly visible and potentially vulnerable places like stadiums and arenas, where they are close to passionate fans, many of them men.”
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