Just over one third of the 100 most powerful women in the world in 2020 were women of colour.The 17th annual Power Women list by Forbes Magazine includes women from 30 countries who were born across four generations. Women across politics, business and entertainment are featured on the list, including Kamala Harris, Oprah Winfrey and Queen B to name a few.
The aim for us all in 2021? To get more epic women of colour on the list!
Let's get glowing!
- Shilpa
Who Run The World? Girls!
Bianca Smith: The First Black Woman To Coach In Major League Baseball History
Bianca Smith has just been appointed as a minor league coach for the Boston Red Sox baseball team. Whether baseball is your jam or not, this news hits it out of the park to start off 2021. Smith is the first Black woman to coach in the history of professional baseball!
Conscious of her position, Smith is here to motivate and inspire other women who might also be interested in the sport. "I think it's a great opportunity also to just kind of inspire other women who are interested in this game."
You can find out more about Smith and her new role here.
On a related note, Kim Ng was announced as the new General Manager for the Miami Marlins baseball team in late 2020. She's the first woman ever to be appointed to such a position in Major League Baseball.
South Asian Owned Beauty Brands To Take Your Clean Beauty Regime Up A Notch
Clean beauty products that work on coloured skin tones. Sounds like a dream, and it's now reality! Neha Tandon has put the spotlight on twenty-five South Asian owned clean beauty brands that you need to try. You'll be pleased to hear that twenty-two of these brands are founded, or co-founded, by women. We can hear your applause through the screen!
Our tried and true favourites from the brands featured include Avya Skincare and Live Tinted (obviously!). The full list of brands is available here.
Representation Matters, Always
Speaking of Live Tinted, its Founder, Deepica Mutuyala, shares her motivation to start the digital community turned beauty brand. Hint: it's to do with her experiences with colourism.
“Your skin tone is a representation of your culture, your identity, and where you come from. These are all things that, because of the media growing up and the very specific lens that I looked through, that I never knew. We not only have the opportunity, but it’s our responsibility to change that narrative for the next generation.” Mutuyala's full interview is available here.
Bites
- Naomi Osaka was named the 2020 Female Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press. The tennis star made waves in 2020 for her on the court achievements - winning the US Open for her third Grand Slam title - and her activism off the court. In particular, Osaka spoke out about racial injustice and police brutality.
- Angel Lama made history as the first transgender woman to be a finalist in the Miss Universe Nepal 2020 competition. While she wan't crowned Miss Universe Nepal 2020 (the winner was Anshika Sharma), Lama is proud to have paved the way for all women to walk the Miss Universe Stage (and we couldn't be more proud of her!) "If I stand on that stage and showcase this [diversity], that will be the biggest crown ever."
- Joanna Ho's debut book, Eyes That Kiss In The Corners, is officially available to purchase. The book shares an important message to young Asian children about self-love, confidence and empowerment and breaks down mainstream narratives about what it means to be beautiful.
- The Hijab is officially a part of the New Zealand (NZ) Police uniform. Policewoman Zeena Ali worked with NZ Police to design a garment that is both functional for her role and considerate of her religion. "It feels great to be able to go out and show the New Zealand Police hijab as part of my uniform ... I think that seeing it, more Muslim women will want to join as well," says Ali.
- AOC is using her Twitch channel for for the greater good and we wouldn't expect anything less! After launching her channel on the gaming platform she used her first live stream to encourage her 439,000 viewers to vote (obvs) in the then upcoming US elections. She leveraged her second live stream to raise a whopping $200K for charities. Is there anything AOC can't do?!
Make Some Noise For These Ladies
Nanogirl Making STEM Accessible For All
Dr Michelle Dickinson, aka 'Nanogirl', is helping kids in New Zealand get excited about science on a shoestring budget. After launching the social enterprise, Nanogirl's Lab, in early 2020, Dr Dickinson started a summer program to help make science accessible for kids in low socio-economic areas.
Beauty In Our Diversity
Rumbiie Mudzengi is helping women in Australia to love the skin they're in. Based in Perth, Mudzengi has first hand experience in the lack of diversity and inclusion in the Australian beauty industry. So, she started running her own beauty workshops! "I think unfortunately we only see one shade or one race being represented all the time — a lot of the time it starts to feel like there's no place for us, and I want young people to realise that there is a space for you."
Literal Heroine
On This Day 43 Years Ago...
On 11 January 1978, award winning novelist, editor and professor, Toni Morrison (1931 - 2019) won the National Book Critics Circle Award for her novel Song of Solomon.
Morrison's novels are known for their epic themes, beautiful language and detailed African American characters who are central to their narratives.
Throughout her life, Morrison earned a plethora of book-world accolades and honorary degrees. In 1988 she was awared the Pulitzer Prize for her novel Beloved and was the first African American to win the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1993. She also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012. What a woman!
"When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful"
- Malala Yousafzai
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