Quick Hits
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The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced that it will add 30 women to various commissions within the organization to increase gender diversity and bring up the percentage of women to 42.7 percent. Even better, the IOC says it has placed an emphasis on recruiting women from Africa and Oceania! SwimSwam
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Of all industries, many would guess that defense might be of the most hostile to women. But that’s starting to shift — by 2019, three of the top U.S. defense firms will have women CEOs. Aviation Pros
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Tired of mediocre white guys in bootcut jeans griping about women and calling it comedy? Us, too — which is why we’re excited to see women rising up in the world of comedy. English actress and comedian Helen Lederer has launched the Comedy Women in Print prize, telling The Guardian that “more needs to be done to celebrate the achievements of women excelling in this field” and that she hopes it will “bring forward the next generation of female talent as well as shine a light on women who have an established comedy writing career.” The Guardian
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Also in the world of comedy, Rwandan-American comedian Sonia Denis will be the host of After After Party, a new late night show that will air on Facebook Watch. Denis’ comedy is a breath of fresh air — she’s not a fan of stiff monologuing, and she’s not afraid to discuss her experiences as an African-American woman. Refinery29
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If we’ve learned anything from Grey’s Anatomy, it’s that women doctors are rockstars — looking at you, Cristina Yang. Turns out, there’s a growing body of evidence to support this claim. A new study has found that treatment by women doctors yields better outcomes for both male and female heart attack patients. Fortune theorizes that this is likely due to women doctors’ stronger relationships with patients, better communication skills, and increased likelihood to follow protocol. Fortune
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For those of you as horrified as we were by Brock Turner’s disgusting appeals attempt: breathe easy. Fortunately, the California Court of Appeals found his ‘outercourse’ argument to be just as gross and invalid as everyone else did. Refinery29
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Breastfeeding can be a source of anxiety and frustration for lots of moms out there. That’s why tech company Coroflo was started. The company uses microsensing technology to measure the force and volume of breast milk so parents can be sure of how much milk their baby is receiving. The Guardian
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Here’s something cool — for the first time ever, four Harvard University schools will be led by Black women! NewsOne
Election Update
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Continuing news from the so-called ‘pink wave,’ Ilhan Omar won Minnesota’s Democratic House primary. After coming to the US two decades ago as a refugee, Omar is well on her way to be the first Somali-American member of Congress. CNN
- First-time candidate Christine Hallquist won Vermont's Democratic gubernatorial primary. The landmark victory celebrates one step closer for her to become the country’s first-ever openly transgender gubernatorial candidate. The Washington Post
Around the World
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Tunisia’s President Beji Caid Essebsi has submitted a bill to grant equal inheritance and property rights to women. The current law in place is based on the Sharia law system, and daughters are generally only granted half the inheritance sons receive. The Washington Post
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Keiko Ihara, one of Japan’s first women racecar drivers, has chipped at the country’s glass ceiling even further by becoming the first female independent director of Nissan. BBC reports that in Japan, four out of five listed companies don’t have a single woman board member. BBC
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Michelle Bachelet, women’s rights activist and the first woman to be elected president of Chile, has been chosen to serve as the United Nations’ top human rights official. The New York Times
