Colombia’s City of Women: A Haven from Violence
Sibylla Brodzinsky, The Guardian
In the Colombian town of Turbaco is the City of Women, a neighborhood built by local women. They came together when violence displaced them, seeking — and finding — security and solace together. “They were victims of the warring factions, including leftist guerrilla groups, rightwing paramilitary armies and even government forces,” says Brodzinsky. “But what brought them together was their new struggle to survive.” We were moved by this compelling story of women joining forces to create something so vital for themselves, and a light for others as well.
The Fight to End Period Shaming is Going Mainstream
Abigail Jones, Newsweek
As Jones notes at the start of this piece, menstruation is a fact of life. But the difficulties many women around the world face in accessing sanitary products add layers of frustration to an already less-than pleasant, if completely natural, bodily function. Moreover, talk of periods is often plagued by immature attitudes or shame. This article takes stock of society’s troubled history with the topic, and an apparent shift underway in America, at least. “There’s a movement—propelled by activists, inventors, politicians, startup founders and everyday people—to strip menstruation of its stigma and ensure that public policy keeps up. For the first time, Americans are talking about gender equality, feminism and social change through women’s periods, which, as Steinem puts it, is ‘evidence of women taking their place as half the human race.’”
‘Whole Foods Effect’: When Small Food Makers Get the Call to Go Big
Amy Haimerl, The New York Times
For a small food business, getting shelf space in the stores of industry giants like Whole Foods can be huge for a venture’s brand awareness — and, of course, its bottom line. However, many businesses in this enviable position have found themselves underprepared to suddenly and significantly scale up to take advantage of the opportunity. Here, Haimerl examines the challenges with the help of several female food entrepreneurs, learning how they adapted their businesses — those who chose to join forces with the big guys, that is.
Confessions of a Female Uber Driver
Susan Zalkind, The Guardian
Chariot for Women is a rideshare service that exclusively hires and caters to women, promising protection from harassment and potential danger as they move about town. It’s set to launch soon in Boston, but has already sparked debates about the legality — and necessity — of its female-only policies. Zalkind starts and ends her piece with an anecdote from her time as a driver, when she grappled with untoward behavior from two inebriated male passengers. “If … Chariot for Women, launches as advertised, drivers will never have to interact with the men’s lacrosse team, as I did while driving for Uber and Lyft for about a year,” she says.
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