Women Rock the Golden Globes, Start-up Sisters Decline Millions, Street Harassment Intensifies in Africa, and Ocean-Bound Healthcare

2015 is strong out of the gate with more than 10 top feminist moments at the Golden Globes, and local start-up women not only getting big TV exposure, but also turning down millions in funding. See what the realities of the new year look like for women in Hollywood from highlights to job truths, why street harassment has escalated in Africa, and how one doctor has beaten abortion laws by taking her clinic to the seas. This is your Spark News Digest.

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By Spark Fellow: Kendra Hyett

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FEMINISM: Hollywood Women Rock the Globes + “Celluloid Ceiling” Revealed

In 2014, actress Emma Watson spoke at the U.N. Headquarters, calling men to be advocates for gender equality with the “HeForShe” Campaign; male celebrities Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Aziz Ansari, John Legend, and more stepped up as feminists; plus female-led film, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 was the biggest opener of 2014. But Hollywood 2014 news also included the shocking break of multiple rape allegations against beloved actor and comedian Bill Cosby as well as female actors Cate Blanchett and Mindy Kaling speaking up about sexism in Hollywood casting and jobs behind the camera. So what will 2015 look like in Hollywood? The fact that there were 10+ top feminist moments in the 2015 Golden Globes sounds like 2015 is coming out of the gate strong, so check those out below for a little new year’s cheer, but also a dose of how far we have yet to come with the new year’s report on female jobs in Hollywood.

READ THE STORIES:
The Most Feminist Moments of the 2015 Golden Globes
Breaking Through Hollywood’s Celluloid Ceiling

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TECHNOLOGY: SF Start-up Sisters Spurn “Sharks”

The three Bay Area sisters who created dating app, Coffee Meets Bagel, are getting a lot of attention! Not only is their dating app designed by women for women and has been racking up the success stories, but in early January, the sisters had the huge opportunity at getting some serious funding from investors on Shark Tank. Find out why these local entrepreneurs turned down the sharks’ $30M offer. (Yes, 3-0 MILLION!!)

READ THE STORY

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GLOBAL WOMEN’S RIGHTS: Attacks on the Street Fight Women in the Seats

In late 2014, a woman in New York filmed herself walking through the city catcalled and followed while wearing jeans and a t-shirt, a woman in Nairobi wearing a mini-skirt was filmed being stripped and attacked by a crowd, and a girl in Zimbabwe wearing a short dress was filmed being dragged off a bus and stripped. Obviously, this is about a whole lot more than “inappropriate” clothing and even a woman’s right to dress as she wishes without harassment. This poignant New York Times article discusses how in Africa (and likely around the world), these attacks on women are not about what women are wearing, but about where women are going as women rapidly advance into positions of power.

READ THE STORY

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GLOBAL HEALTH: Clinic ON the Sea – Doctor Goes the Distance for Safe Abortions

With abortion laws under fire, an incredible doctor took her clinic to international waters. Dr. Rebecca Gomperts started her own organization sailing around the world to teach women to safely use abortion-inducing drugs. Get the scoop on how it works and about her amazing documentary that premiered at SXSW.

READ THE STORY

New Grantee: Young Feminists Movement in Pakistan

The Young Feminists Movement

By Spark Fellow Kendra Hyett

Pakistan is only second to Yemen in a list of the ten worst countries for girls to be born in according to The Global Gender Gap Report in 2013. Women receive 43% less educational opportunities than men, there’s a 21% gender-based income gap, and only a quarter of the national labor force are represented by women. When it comes to violence against women, according to a study by The Ministry of Law, Justice, and Human Rights, just from January 2012 to September 2013, there were 860 honor killings, 481 incidents of domestic violence, 90 cases of acid burning, 344 cases or rape or gang rape, and 268 incidents of sexual assault or harassment.

In the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province in Northern Pakistan, girls and women are living under a tribal and Feudal system that promotes male dominance, presented as Islamic norms and values by religious groups. These traditions create even more extreme gender inequality and chance of gender-based violence as girls and women can be forced into marriage for the sake of peacemaking between tribes, are excluded from political activities, plus face violence and religious extremism when making efforts towards promoting girls and women’s rights. All of this is what sparked an international movement behind young activist Malala Yousafzai after she survived the Taliban’s targeted shooting for her promotion of girls’ rights to education.

In a place where even young school girls face extreme violence for speaking out, and “feminism” is a bold concept, Spark is thrilled to support giving these young women a voice through our newest grantee, The Young Feminists Movement.

The Young Feminists Movement was created in 2011 by young women at various local colleges from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province and adjacent tribal areas focused on raising awareness around gender equality issues plus giving young women a safe space and a voice in an oppressed society. They provide 5-day trainings for girls ages 15-25 around equal rights, reproductive health and abuse prevention, plus they promote activism around girls’ and women’s rights and gender equality. From these trainings and other activities, they form “Girls Power Clubs” which continue the cultivation and promotion of feminism and activism. So far, they have successfully organized a group of 23 young women who speak for equal rights and are equipped with the knowledge and tools to challenge the patriarchy, plus they have influenced many more through their activist activities.

A Spark grant will cover:

• 50 scholarships for girls to attend the training program, and
• Volunteer services in the areas of development plus organizational and financial management.

If you are interested in being a part of providing these volunteer services, we would love to hear from you. Email programs@sparksf.org.

We are so excited to feature this progressive and innovative organization at our upcoming Cocktails For A Cause event!

Please join us at SparkSF’s Cocktails For A Cause event on April 23, 2014 at Mr. Smiths in San Francisco to help raise funds for the young feminists of Pakistan. #MoreMalalas