Naz Smyth

The Fourth Industrial Revolution No matter which side you are on, you cannot deny we are in the beginning stages of the Fourth Industrial Revolution . But, is technology good or bad? Whether our increased use is making us more isolated or connected is a subject of much debate. Hopefully this is something our world leaders will discuss. Gender Parity One important gender parity question is how to close the worldwide gendered wage gap. In some parts of the world, women aren’t allowed to work. What are the barriers keeping women across from globe from equal pay and work opportunities? In addition, many countries need to improve gender parity with regards to access to education. How can places where women are persecuted guarantee an education for all sexes? The future of half the world’s population depends on finding answers to these questions. more on Naz Smyth

Where is it Happening? The largest public protests are going down in New York City and Washington, DC. However, the official kickoff rally will be celebrated in Las Vegas, Nevada. If you don’t live close to one of these cities or can’t afford to fly, don’t worry. There are at minimum 700 other locations around the world participating in round 2! If you want to find the demonstration closest to you, the 2018 Women’s March Facebook Page features all the events planned. Be sure to like, join, and invite your friends! More on NazSmyth

George Weah, former national soccer champion, was sworn in Monday, January 22nd, as the new president of Liberia. In what was the first peaceful transition of power in decades, the Liberian people chose Weah over former vice-president Joseph Boakai. The political race was tense, with President Ellen Sirleaf’s support of Weah over her vice president resulting in expulsion from her own political party. more details on  www.nazsmyth.co.uk/2018/01/weekly-news/

Recently, the biggest names in economics gathered together for their annual conference. The primary theme? Women, or more specifically lack thereof. The Economist covers one of the more interesting topics. University of Liverpool’s Erin Hengel spoke on why women may be publishing fewer papers than men. In her study, abstracts of 2,000 papers were judged by readability. She found women and men score about the same for their first published paper. However, as careers progress, the readability scores for women’s articles go up. The scores for men stay about the same. The conclusion reached was that women are made to improve their articles over time. Men are not. more on www.nazsmyth.co.uk/2018/01/gender-standards/

#5. Elisabeth Moss’s Dedication Almost all acceptance speeches revolved around the theme of women’s rights. However, Elisabeth Moss from “The Handmaid’s Tale” made one of the best of the night. After thanking Margaret Atwood, she dedicated her award to women “who were brave enough to speak out against intolerance and injustice”. Adding, “We no longer live in the gaps between the stories. We are the story in print, and we are writing the story ourselves”. Wow. more on my website http://www.nazsmyth.co.uk/2018/01/ golden-globes /