Ukrainian female soldiers made to march in heels sparks debate
On Friday, the defence ministry released photographs showing female Ukrainian cadets marching in camouflage uniforms and black high heels. Ukrainian authorities have been accused of sexism and misogyny as the photos have prompted debate in the Ukraine. Opposition lawmaker, Inna Sovsun, commented on Facebook “walking in the heat on our roads, the military risks injury, damage to shins, ligaments and even rubbing their feet. Why? To bring to life someone’s stereotypes about the only role of a woman as a beautiful doll?”
Australia due to send record numbers of female and Indigenous athletes to the Tokyo Games
The Australian Olympic Committee has announced 472 athletes, consisting of 254 women and 218 men and a record 16 Indigenous athletes, competing across eleven sports at the Tokyo Games. The team size is only just short of the 482 that Australia took to Athens in 2004. The 2021 Australian Olympic Team will have the highest percentage of female athletes to compete for Australia.
English pregnant women denied mental health help due to Covid19
In England, thousands of pregnant women have been denied mental health aid due to the pandemic, despite data showing that one in five women have perinatal mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety. Head of policy, campaigns and public affairs at Mind, Vicki Nash, said the findings were deeply concerning as “women are among several groups that have borne the brunt of the Covid crisis with many juggling caring roles with working and home schooling, leading to a deterioration in women’s mental wellbeing.”
Facebook, Google, Twitter and TikTok commit to tackling female online abuse
Led by the World Wide Web Foundation (WWWF), according to a 2021 study from the Economist Intelligence Unit, more than a third of women worldwide have experienced abuse online, rising to almost half for younger women. Facebook, Google, Twitter and TikTok have committed to offering more granular settings for users to curate their own safety, such as allowing them to block people from replying without blocking them and using “more simple and accessible language throughout the user experience” to improve access to safety tools.
Pine Valley ends 108-year history as a male-only club
Pine Valley ranks number one in Golf Digest’s most recent ranking of America’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses. Previously, female guests at Pine Valley were only allowed to play on Sunday afternoons and the club was one of a dozen clubs that’s remained male only. Pine Valley is now allowing female members and unrestricted women’s play for the first time in its 108 years as club president Jim Davis stated, “the future of golf must move toward inclusion.”
