Black women lead in Brazil elections, Youtube's transsexual Oscar Wilde, Intern at Women Who Drone

In Brazil’s first elections under Bolsonaro, Black women are fighting back: Black women are mobilizing to win seats at the table in this month's municipal elections – amid death threats and COVID-19 restrictions. More than 1,000 women all over Brazil raised their hands to run for office, a 60% increase on the previous election cycle in 2014. >> Full Story

How a journalist turned prominent human rights activist fights for democracy in the Philippines, and beyond: Maria Ressa spent years fighting authoritarianism in the Philippines. She's become a global symbol of press freedom and an avatar of courage in the face of rising violence. Her story holds fascinating insights on fighting for more responsible technology, and a career shift from journalism to activism. >> Full Story

Young Thai women lead pro-democracy protests, take inspiration from Hong Kong demonstrations and...The Hunger Games: Staring into a sea of young Thai protesters in the streets of Bangkok calling for political reform in the country, one symbol is clearly visible: the three finger salute from The Hunger Games. The most prominent figures are two young women – one a student at Thailand’s top university, and the other a 16-year-old high schooler and co-founder of the student-led online platform Choose Change. >> Full Story

'GripTok' is the latest trend on TikTok empowering users to learn about sexual and reproductive health. Through the challenge, those with vaginas are encouraged to do a kegel exercise (clenching and releasing the pelvic floor) to the beat of the song playing in the background of the video. Although kegels have been historically the reserve of older women, there's growing awareness of the benefits across age (and sex!). 

Blue Ivy Carter, Beyoncé's daughter, is the audiobook narrator for ‘Hair Love’ at age 8. The book, turned into Oscar-winning short film, tells the story of a Black father’s attempts to do his 7-year-old daughter’s hair for a special occasion.

Three history-making leaders who have broken glass ceilings around the Latin American region will be sitting down together for a virtual webinar.Their objective: how to involve more women in politics. Tune in to the webinar this week! 

Peruse around the internet searching for a comprehensive list of book recommendations specifically featuring the best works produced by African American women authors, and it turns out you'll be quite disappointed: no one has ever compiled such a list. That is, until now! ZORA publication identified this huge gap recently, and put together 100 most impactful books written by African American women. 

Emily Harrington became the first woman to free-climb the Golden Gate route up El Capitan, a 3,000-foot-high monolith in Yosemite National Park, in under 24 hours: "There was a part of me that wanted to give up and quit...But this other part of me was like, this is why you’re here. It’s supposed to be hard. You owe it to yourself to try again."

More news from badass girls this week: Nandi Bushell, a 10-year-old drumming prodigy, struck up an unlikely friendship with Dave Grohl, the Foo Fighters frontman and former Nirvana drummer, by challenging him to a drum-off on social media. Spoiler alert: she's BRILLIANT. Oh, and she also recorded a cover of the Nirvana song "In Bloom", which, you know, we're obviously going to drop here....

Natalie Wynn, also known as the "Oscar Wilde of YouTube" and "one of the internet's leading B-List transsexuals", is an ex-philosopher, video essayist, and truly one of the most special figures in online progressive activism. Her videos cover politics, gender, race and much more – all with a particularly persuasive style, notorious for it convincing even terfs (trans-exclusionary radical feminists...think: JK Rowling), white suprematists, and conservatives, to reconsider their views. 

In Natalie's Youtube channel, you'll find so many great video essays so if you're unsure where to begin, we highly recommend starting with Men, where she talks about how men can perpetuate gendered violence, while also recognizing the unique societal pressures men face. The video is a perfect example of what The Atlantic observed is Natalie's greatest strength: 

"Contra does her makeup, dons her pearls, and invites her opponents and her viewers into the parlor for cocktails and conversation. The talk isn’t quite a heart-to-heart. Contra’s burns are scorching, her satire precise, and many of her arguments reduce her opponents’ positions to rubble. But somehow, when she does it, the effect is humanizing rather than bullying. She’s flirting, not fighting."