We’re back for another week of empowered women in the news who are inspiring every lady to be the best they can be! Here are our top picks for the week.
LORI ALHADEFF
Nobody should know what it’s like to lay their child to rest, but Lori Alhadeff sadly faced that reality last Valentine’s Day when her daughter, Alyssa, fell victim of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Since then, this strong woman has started a non-profit called “Make Our Schools Safe” and created a law in New Jersey named after her daughter. Read her heartfelt letter to Alyssa one year later here.
MARIA JÚLIA COUTINHO
Maria Júlia Coutinho is set to be the first black anchorwoman to report on Brazil’s “Globo Jornal Nacional”! Born on August 10, 1978, Coutinho is smashing the standards of the journalism realm in Brazil.
“A lot of people thought I would be crying in the corridors, but in fact, I’ve been dealing with this issue since forever. Of course, I get very indignant and sad, but I do not wilt,” she said, triumphantly.
JING WEN
This chinese model, Jing Wen, received serious backlash when people noticed her freckles in her advertisement for Zara cosmetics. Many argued that her freckles weren’t adhering to the aesthetic of Chinese culture, but Wen rose above the negativity and made sure her natural freckles weren’t covered by any foundation.
In 2016, Wen told Vogue she hated her freckles when she was younger because “normally Asian people don’t have them.” She said she finally grew to accept them. “It’s okay. I like them, and that’s enough.” Yay for eliminating unachievable beauty standards!
STEPHANIE LAMPKIN
Stephanie Lampkin is the founder of @Blendoor, a blind recruiting app for job recruiters that hides the candidate’s name and photo to circumvent unconscious bias and facilitate diversity. Its goal is to highlight the information that’s most relevant to a candidate being a “good fit,” independent of race, gender, (dis)ability, military history, or sexual orientation.
Lampkin’s company was recently named as one of Forbes’ 50 women-led startups changing the face of tech. Here’s to crushing bias and putting gender equality at the forefront of business!
ANASTASIA GARCIA
“Body positivity” is a movement in which you are supposed to love your body and believe that it’s beautiful, and some brands are making way into proving their inclusivity. But is this truly always the case? Anastasia Garcia sees through this mirage.
Some “inclusive” brands stop at size 12 or size 20, which doesn’t exactly feel welcoming for all people. What does that mean for those like Garcia who need sizes bigger than those?
In response to Victoria’s Secret’s pushback on inclusive sizing, Garcia commented, “Does Victoria’s Secret not like money? Your sales have been dropping forever, and 70 percent of women can’t wear your clothing. So let’s do the math here, guys.” You go, girl!
Featured image courtesy of Anastasia Garcia Instagram.
Here at Hey! VINA, we love strong women who rise above the regular standards of society and do so with pride! Check out vinas in your local community to build a strong gal gang that will support you in everything you do.
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