Joy Harjo became the first Native American woman to be named a U.S. Poet Laureate
This week, the 2019 U.S. Poet Laureate award was given to Joy Harjo, the first Native American woman ever to receive the prestigious honor from the Library of Congress. The 68-year-old Oklahoma poet is a member of the Muskogee tribe. She has written eight poetry books, a memoir and two books focusing on the Native American experience. She told the New York Times: “My poems are about confronting the kind of society that would diminish Native people, disappear us from the story of this country.”
Mika Brzezinski: 8 Ways Women Can Step Up Their Negotiation Game
Women are not being paid their value at work, and there are small steps women can take to combat this issue during negotiations, according to “Morning Joe” co-host and Know Your Value founder Mika Brzezinski. Brzezinski delivered a keynote speech on Monday at the annual 2019 Elly Awards at the Plaza Hotel, where she discussed some of these tactics. They included: get used to talking about your achievements, minimize gossip about your work problems, stop apologizing, and even if you hear a “no,” try again later.
Artist and style icon Gloria Vanderbilt died at age 95
Gloria Vanderbilt, fashion icon and artist, was confirmed dead on Monday at age 95. Her son, journalist and anchor Anderson Cooper, delivered the news on CNN. Vanderbilt was born a celebrity into a high-profile, wealthy family. She would go on to design her own clothes and model in them, an anomaly in the 1970s. She was an artist and an inspiration; it is said that the “Breakfast At Tiffany’s” protagonist Holly GoLightly was based on her. Vanderbilt joined Instagram at age 93 and put up her last post seven days before she passed away. She was painting her bathroom tiles, and she wrote: “Why not, Star Child?” as the caption.
Self-help titan Tony Robbins has been accused of groping women and mistreating his followers
In May, Buzzfeed revealed that Tony Robbins, self-help celebrity and head of a multibillion-dollar business, has been allegedly groping women and acting inappropriately toward his followers and former female employees. After publishing the original investigation, a new wave of women came forward. On Wednesday, Buzzfeed revealed that a total of 10 women had reported stories of inappropriate touching, unwanted advances and exposing himself, often under the guise of treatment. Robbins has denied all of the allegations.
The workplace still isn’t equal for women. Here’s some advice to navigate it.
All studies show that women are not receiving fair pay or equal treatment to men in the workplace. On Sunday, the New York Times excerpted its “Working Woman’s Handbook” by sharing a few tips for women including: form groups to openly discuss salary, don’t be hard on yourself if you fail, and don’t glorify stress — burnout won’t get you where you want to be.
U.S. women are working longer hours while their sleep and social life suffers
In the annual Time Use Survey released by the Department of Labor on Wednesday, data found that women spent more hours on the job in 2018 than in previous years. This led to a reduction in socializing, leisure time and sleep. Men’s working hours reduced in 2018 on average, which nearly equalized the amount of working hours between the genders, however, women spent far more time fulfilling household obligations and caring for children than men.
Women are less interested in politics than men across more than a dozen rich countries, and the gap starts in childhood, according to a new European study. In the U.K., for example, the gap among 15-year-old girls and boys interested in politics is already 20 percent. For 25-year-olds, the gap is 30 percent. The gap is even bigger for educated adults, who tend to be engaged in politics. If this gap does not close, issues like parental leave will likely not be adequately addressed, the study maintains.
A conversation with Ilana Weinstein: One of the most powerful women in hedge funds
Ilana Weinsten is a headhunter for hedge funds, an overwhelmingly male-dominated field. The CEO and founder of IDW Group LLC, which recruits talent for some of the most important hedge fund firms in the business recently told the Wall Street Journal about her life as a very powerful woman in hedge funds. She also revealed that her company has had trouble recruiting other women. “We have to do a better job of recruiting women early on,” she told the Journal. “There is a deep interest and priority for bringing women on board. I wish there was a deeper well of talent to pull from. At the end of the day, we’re not going to pop a woman in the seat to have a woman. It’s about having the best possible person in that seat.”
Halley Bondy