Quick Hits
- A new equal pay law passed in Hawaii will prevent employers from being able to ask applicants what they made at their past jobs — generally, when women have to tell their employers their salary history, it perpetuates the cycle of unequal pay. The new law will also allow employees to freely discuss their pay and benefits with each other, without fear of punishment from their employer, which will help women know if they’re being paid fairly or if they’re being ripped off. Beautiful beaches and equal pay? We’re packing our bags and moving to Hawaii. Hawaii News Now
- Only about 10 percent of commercials for Procter & Gamble, the world’s largest advertiser, are directed by women. But, that’s soon to change — P&G has announced that by 2023 they want at least half of their product commercials to be directed by women. Bloomberg
- Jennifer Lee, the director of “Frozen,” has been named Chief Creative Officer at Walt Disney Animation Studios. Variety
- The International Boxing Federation has announced the implementation of several policy changes to foster gender equality within the organization and in the world of boxing, from the fighters to the executives. AIBA
- The World Health Organization has announced that being transgender will no longer be classified as a mental illness. We’re a bit horrified that this disgusting notion was still on the books, and are happy to bid it adieu. CNN
- And if you don’t read any further, let us leave you with “the glamorous grandmas of Instagram.” YES! New York Times
In The News
Bad Bosses
Intel has removed Brian Krzanich, it's CEO, after discovering that he had engaged in a consensual relationship with another employee at the company. Relationships within the organization are a violation of the company's policies, and since Intel had previously fired others for breaking the rule, they felt as if there was no choice but to oust Krzanich.
Another bad boss leaving their company? Netflix's chief communications officer Jonathan Friedland. Friedland announced Friday that he’s stepping down following “insensitive” comments he made to colleagues. “His descriptive use of the N-word on at least two occasions at work showed unacceptably low racial awareness and sensitivity, and is not in line with our values as a company,” Netflix CEO Reed Hastings wrote in a memo.
Friedland and Krzanich joins the growing number of high-profile officials who have been fired or forced out over their behavior.
Six CEOs have resigned under pressure among S&P 500 companies in the first quarter of this year. Not all of these instances involved ethical issues, but many did, and the firings show that boards are becoming less tolerant of bad behavior from CEO's and other company leaders. Bloomberg
Y I K E S
- When told about the story of a 10-year-old girl with Down Syndrome who was separated from her mother in South Texas, political commentator Corey Lewandowski replied only with a mocking “Womp womp.” New York Times
- When Melania Trump wore a jacket which read “I really don’t care, do u?” during her visit to border camps. Everyone is pretty confused as why she made this tone-deaf outfit choice, considering Melania had seemed to express concern for the separated children before the incident. Vox
- When ABC premiered its bizarre new show “The Proposal” involving a group of scantily-clad women competing for the affections of a mysterious bachelor. The catch? They can’t see him, while he can see them and ask them invasive questions. The winner gets a proposal, but who would want to marry someone they’d never even seen? We’ll pass on this Black Mirror-esque contest. PopSugar
Around the World
- New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern gave birth to a baby girl Thursday, making her the first sitting world leader have a child while in office since Benazir Bhutto had a child while serving as Prime Minister of Pakistan in 1990. Ardern plans to take six weeks of maternity leave during which her Deputy Prime Minister will assume her duties, but she'll still be keeping up with Cabinet papers. In an interview earlier this year she said "I am not the first woman to multitask. I am not the first woman to work and have a baby; there are many women who have done this before." Congratulations, Prime Minister! NPR
- Iranian women packed into a sports stadium to watch a live broadcast of the World Cup for the first time in 40 years, after the decades long ban on their attendance at sporting events was lifted. Though there was no formal law, since the 1979 revolution, Iranian women have been turned away from stadiums, and arrested if caught trying to sneak in. Iran went on to lose the match against Spain, 0 to 1. But Spain’s team captain, Sergio Ramos, dedicated his country’s win to the women of Iran, tweeting, “They are the ones who won tonight. Hopefully the first of many.” HuffPost
- However, the World Cup has also revealed an ugly side of a (largely male) sporting culture. Julieth Gonzalez Theran, a reporter for a Spanish language German news channel was sexually assaulted while delivering a live broadcast at the games in Russia when an unidentified man groped her and kissed her cheek. She was able to remain calm and continue her broadcast, but later posted a video of the assault on Instagram, writing “RESPECT! We don’t deserve this. We are equally valuable and professional. I share the joy of football, but we must identify the limits of affection and harassment.” HuffPost
