When reporting news of gender equality (or lack thereof), global media outlets typically focus on the negatives. This holiday season, let’s take a moment, celebrate the positives, and be thankful for forward progress.
1. Outspoken feminist celebrities like Beyoncé, Emma Watson, Amy Poehler, and Taylor Swift have helped mainstream the public conversation around gender inequities.
2. Since 1990, annual maternal deaths have declined by almost one half and the deaths of young children have declined from 12 million to 7.6 million in 2010.
3. Lammily (a.k.a. Normal Barbie) is challenging beauty norms and empowering young girls to embrace their individuality.
4. Street harassment is no longer an ignored injustice.
5. Malala won the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize, proving once again that she is a BOSS.
6. Millennials are closing the wage gap between men and women.
7. Women know how to give incredible TED talks.
8. Women around the world joined together to protest and raise awareness about sexual assault on college campuses.
9. Elsa and Anna shattered the typical damsel-in-distress female stereotypes (not to mention box office records) in Disney’s ‘Frozen’ and have since become the new faces of female heroism for young girls.
10. These holiday gifts exist:
Happy holidays!
Cover image c/o ImgKid.com
