Scotland Is Making Pads & Tampons Free For Everyone

Scotland has officially become the first nation to approve a plan to provide free menstrual products for all in an unanimous vote on Tuesday, according to a report by Reuters. The bill will make pads and tampons free in public places like community centers, youth clubs, and pharmacies, piggybacking off of legislation already in place that requires complimentary menstrual products to be available in schools and universities.“Why is it in 2020 that toilet paper is seen as a necessity but period products aren’t?” asked Scottish lawmaker Alison Johnstone during the debate, according to Reuters. “Being financially penalized for a natural bodily function is not equitable or just.”Monica Lennon, one of the bill’s proposers, explained that the new legislation will be a “milestone moment for normalizing menstruation in Scotland and sending out that real signal to people in this country about how seriously parliament takes gender equality,” said Reuters.Notably, Scottish parliament passed the legislation with 112 votes in favor, none against, and one abstention. Now, lawmakers in the country will be able to propose amendments. If the bill becomes law, the government estimates that the cost of providing free period products will total $31.2 million per year.“We are changing the culture and it’s really exciting that other countries right around the world are watching very closely to see what we do,” Lennon said.Currently, The United Kingdom taxes period-related products at 5%. The United States also has a tampon tax. Thirty-three states still tax menstrual products including tampons, pads, liners, and period cups. This “pink tax” costs American taxpayers around $150 million each year.“People have to take a step back and say, Oh my god, I’ve never thought about this, and yeah, that seems pretty unfair and discriminatory. It’s an awakening,” Jordana Kier, founder of organic feminine care brand LOLA, previously told Refinery29. As Lennon reportedly said during a rally before the vote was passed, “Access to menstrual products is a right. Period.” It sounds like Scottish lawmakers are hearing the message.Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?“I Believed That Tampons Were Impure”Join The Fight To Make Periods Tax-FreeTampon Sizes Are About Your Menstrual Flow

The new wave of feminism sweeping Latin America

Women across Latin America are organizing a wave of protests to force gender politics into the public arena amid staggering rates of femicide and highly restrictive abortion laws. Thousands of Argentines who demonstrated last week in Buenos Aires for the decriminalization of abortion are part of pan-continental movement that has seen action from Chile and Peru to Mexico. "This time, it will be historic," said Mabel Gabarra, a lawyer and founder of a campaign to provide free, safe and legalized terminations in Argentina.

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'This is just the beginning': Hollywood reacts to Harvey Weinstein's conviction

Stars from Julianne Moore and Rosie Perez to Weinstein accuser Ashley Judd respond to the movie mogul’s guilty verdictHarvey Weinstein’s conviction on two charges on Monday – rape in the third degree and criminal sexual acts in the first degree – drew swift cheers from many in the entertainment industry, seeing it as an incomplete yet important step for criminal justice in the MeToo era.“For the women who testified in this case, and walked through traumatic hell, you did a public service to girls and women everywhere, thank you. ConvictWeinstein Guilty” tweeted Ashley Judd, an actor, activist and one of the first women to go on the record with Weinstein accusations for the New York Times.> For the women who testified in this case, and walked through traumatic hell, you did a public service to girls and women everywhere, thank you.ConvictWeinstein Guilty> > — ashley judd (@AshleyJudd) February 24, 2020Annabella Sciorra, who testified that Weinstein raped her in 1993, expressed mixed feelings over the result. The actor’s allegation levelled at the producer didn’t lead to a conviction. “I spoke for myself and with the strength of the 80-plus victims of Harvey Weinstein in my heart,” she said in a statement. “While we hope for continued righteous outcomes that bring absolute justice, we can never regret breaking the silence. For in speaking truth to power we pave the way for a more just culture, free of the scourge of violence against women.”“The jury came back. Harvey Weinstein is found guilty. He is. He did this,” tweeted actor Mia Kirshner, who accused Weinstein of harassment in a hotel room – a common pattern of Weinstein’s predation, as revealed in reporting and in the New York trial.Daryl Hannah, who claimed that Weinstein tried to assault her, published a thread of tweets calling it “a mark of progress” but that there was still a long way to go. “Today I feel a sense of deep love and appreciation for the women who testified and an immense amount of gratitude to our allies,” she wrote.Rose McGowan, who accused Weinstein of rape, said on a conference call with journalists that “today is a powerful day and a huge step forward in collective healing.”“I am heartened for his victims and for all those who said metoo and TimesUp that some justice has been done,” tweeted actor and director Elizabeth Banks.> I am heartened for his victims and for all those who said metoo and TimesUp that some justice has been done. https://t.co/5PYPfhRPjq> > — Elizabeth Banks (@ElizabethBanks) February 24, 2020The once-mighty film mogul was convicted on two charges by a jury of seven men and five women in New York on Monday after five days of deliberation. Weinstein was acquitted, however, on three other charges, including the two most serious ones: predatory sexual assault and rape in the first degree, which could have incurred a life sentence. He is scheduled for a sentencing hearing on 11 March, and faces a minimum of five years and possible 25 years in prison.Still, many heralded some jail time for Weinstein. “HARVEY WEINSTEIN HAS BEEN HANDCUFFED & TAKEN TO JAIL!” tweeted actor Rosie Perez, who testified in the trial to corroborate Sciorra’s story. “I CONGRATULATE [Sciorra] & ALL WHO CAME FORWARD FOR THEIR BRAVERY. THIS IS NOT ENOUGH BUT SURVIVORS TAKE COURAGE! THIS IS STILL A GREAT WIN!”“The beginning of justice. More to come, my sisters,” said actor Mira Sorvino, who was one of dozens of women to accuse Weinstein of sexual misconduct. Sorvino believed for years she was blacklisted by Weinstein after she rejected his advances in his 1990s, which the Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson confirmed in an interview after the reports on Weinstein’s abuse by the New York Times and the New Yorker in October 2017.“Gratitude to the brave women who’ve testified and to the jury for seeing through the dirty tactics of the defense,” tweeted actor Rosanna Arquette, one of the first and most prominent actors to go on the record with her story of sexual assault by Weinstein, in a hotel room in the early 1990s. “We will change the laws in the future so that rape victims are heard and not discredited and so that it’s easier for people to report their rapes.”“I applaud the women who bravely stepped forward to help forever alter the conversation around what they – and all of us – have to put up with. Gratified to see some justice being served here,” tweeted actor Anthony Rapp, who, in the flood of revelations after the Weinstein reporting, publicly alleged actor Kevin Spacey made sexual advances toward him when Rapp was 14.> I applaud the women who bravely stepped forward to help forever alter the conversation around what they — and all of us — have to put up with. Gratified to see some justice being served here. MeToo https://t.co/wR4f66uecj> > — Anthony Rapp (@albinokid) February 24, 2020“Harvey Weinstein is a convicted rapist. No matter how hard the defense might try, he will remain a convicted rapist til the day he dies,” tweeted Ellen Barkin.“This is just the beginning,” tweeted actor Julianne Moore, who also called for support of Time’s Up, Hollywood’s MeToo-initiative, to “fight for safety, equity & justice in every workplace”.“May Harvey Weinstein spend what remains of his life behind bars, thinking about all the terrible crimes he committed against women and may find some measure of peace in his punishment,” tweeted writer and author of the book Bad Feminist Roxane Gay.Actor Dominique Huett, who accused Weinstein of sexual assault in 2010, also welcomed the decision. “The verdict cannot change what Weinstein did but I hope that people have a better understanding about why victim-shaming must end and why women that dare speak out deserve support,” she said in a statement. Like other victims, I now have some peace knowing he is behind bars and will not harm anyone else.”Weinstein now faces four charges in a criminal trial in Los Angeles, as director Judd Apatow reminded on Twitter. “This is just the beginning of holding him accountable.” * In the US, Rainn offers support at 800-656-4673 or by chat at Rainn.org. In the UK, the rape crisis national freephone helpline is at 0808-802-9999. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect (1800-737-7328) or 1800respect.org.au. Other international helplines can be found at Ibiblio.org.

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Condé Nast Agrees to End the Use of NDAs Across the Entire Company

Condé Nast will eliminate the use of non-disclosure agreements related to harassment and discrimination, and plans to release some employees from existing harassment or discrimination-linked arrangements.In a Friday morning note to staff shared with The Daily Beast, Condé Nast management said the iconic publisher, which includes more than a dozen titles like The New Yorker, GQ, and Vogue, among others, will end such NDAs, and will cease previously existing agreements “on a case-by-case basis.”The memo said that reporting by Condé publications on the widespread abuses of the deals—often used by media companies to silence accusers of workplace misconduct—had “prompted us to reconsider the role of NDAs at our own company.”“We are proud that when complaints of harassment or discrimination are made, we take them seriously and investigate them thoroughly,” the memo said. “We strive to protect employees who have raised complaints and treat all employees fairly based on a thorough understanding of the facts. We believe this update to our NDA policy strikes the right balance, considering our core value of transparency, and the interests of our employees, company, and brands.”The move comes amid shifting public views about the use of NDAs, as well as internal pressure to change the company’s policy on their use.Over the past several months, The New Yorker’s editorial union has been in collective bargaining with the company’s leadership for a new contract. One of the union’s primary concerns has been the addition of contract language banning the use of NDAs in instances of harassment and discrimination, and releasing any current and former staff from past arrangements. Condé Nast has contended that the company was committed to eliminating NDAs before The New Yorker union’s proposal, though union staffers were irked that magazine leadership was virtually silent about the proposal before Friday’s announcement. “I’m pleasantly surprised to hear that management has embraced our concept, including the extension of this policy to everyone at the company,” New Yorker union unit chair Natalie Meade said. “Our union members look forward to ratifying our first CBA, which would enshrine this new industry standard.”After exposing accused serial rapist Harvey Weinstein, The New Yorker famously helped kickstart a national movement against the use of non-disclosure agreements in muzzling victims of harassment or discrimination.While NDAs are increasingly prevalent in many businesses, their use in a public-facing industry like media has become the subject of contentious debate and a major issue for some industry unions. The New Yorker staff guild is represented by the Newsguild, which also represents The Daily Beast’s editorial staff. The NDA proposal in question, which was floated by the Newsguild’s legal team, is also currently being negotiated at a number of other shops, including The Daily Beast.The issue had become particularly pronounced at The New Yorker, especially because the magazine has produced some of the most high-profile, aggressive coverage of sexual harassment in the workplace, and the way that NDAs have been used to silence victims.Most famously, Ronan Farrow won a Pulitzer for his New Yorker exposé of the many allegations of sexual harassment and assault against disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, who used non-disclosure agreements and other intimidation tactics to effectively muzzle his accusers for many years.Farrow also dedicated a significant chunk of his 2019 book Catch & Kill to investigating how NDAs at various news organizations and media companies prevented victims from speaking out against workplace misconduct—and may have enabled further abuse.Such a connection between Farrow’s famed reporting and the current debate at the storied magazine hasn’t gone unnoticed by rank and file. During one bargaining session, The New Yorker guild brought a copy of Farrow’s book and referenced it as a reminder of the publication’s work covering NDAs. Some news organizations including Vice, Mic, and HuffPost have required their employees to sign non-disclosure agreements in exchange for severance pay when they’ve been laid off. Others, like Business Insider, floated NDAs barring their employees from ever criticizing the company.Last fall, amid outrage over the network’s use of non-disclosure agreements related to disgraced Today show anchor Matt Lauer’s alleged sexual misconduct, NBC agreed to release some former employees from their confidentiality agreements. Fox News, meanwhile, which infamously used NDAs to silence at least five separate harassment accusers against ex-host Bill O’Reilly, has yet to agree to nullify such arrangements, despite pressure from high-profile former hosts like Gretchen Carlson, whose harassment allegations led to the end of network chief Roger Ailes’ career.On Wednesday, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) ripped former rival Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg for refusing to release some women who signed NDAs at his financial media company.“What we need to know is exactly what's lurking out there,” she said while standing next to the former mayor on the debate stage. “[Bloomberg] has gotten some number of women—dozens, who knows—to sign nondisclosure agreements for sexual harassment and gender discrimination in the workplace.”The senator concluded: “So Mr. Mayor, are you willing to release all of those women from those nondisclosure agreements? So we can hear their side of the story?”Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

#SeeHer Story Dives Into the Inspiring Life of Oceanographer Sylvia Earle

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Ruth Bader Ginsburg Hails ‘Groundswell of Ordinary People’ Fighting for Women’s Equality at DVF Awards

While the 2020 Democratic candidates duked it out on stage in Wednesday night in the race to the White House, a different kind of politicking was taking place about two miles from the country’s highest office. The likes of supermodel Karlie Kloss, Hillary Clinton, and actress Lana Condor were all seated in the Library of Congress’ Great Hall—a room of delicately carved white marble and intricately painted ceilings—to honor Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg at the 11th annual DVF (Diane von Fürstenberg) Awards.Anita Hill at The DVF Awards: ‘Stand With Women Who Need and Deserve to Be Heard, and Have The Right To Be Heard’Before sculpted and bronze-molded busts of America’s Founding Fathers, attendees seated on white leather loveseats quietly listened to the Supreme Court Justice—the recipient of the Lifetime Leadership DVF Award—talk about her fight for gender equity.“I’m most grateful to have been alive and a lawyer when it was possible to fight for equal stature before the court,” Ginsburg told the audience. She also said that a “a groundswell of ordinary people,” or various plaintiffs in landmark court cases, have led the fight for women’s equal rights throughout the years.“In my long life, I have seen great changes, and that’s what makes me an optimist about the future,” she said.The awards ceremony usually takes place in New York, but von Fürstenberg (the wife of Barry Diller, the owner of Daily Beast’s parent company IAC) said she wanted “make the effort to come to D.C.” to honor the 86-year-old widely known as the “Notorious RBG.”“(Ginsburg) is like the sun, she goes over everybody and warms everybody,” von Fürstenberg told The Daily Beast. “I admire her work, she stands for justice and equality. I love the clarity of her mind, which absolutely reflects in her eyes.”Ginsburg was not the only woman honored Wednesday evening. Supermodel Iman was given the Inspiration DVF Award, while Mexican-American prison reform activist Saskia Niño de Rivera and Indian human trafficking activist Priti Patkar were both honored with the International DVF Award for their work. The Diller-von Fürstenberg Family Foundation gives each honoree $50,000 for their respective non-profit organizations.The political nature of the evening was hard to ignore, with the main honoree of the evening being publicly attacked by President Donald Trump in the past. The evening also celebrated “extraordinary women,” while the man currently in Oval Office has been accused of sexual assault by multiple women and caught on tape claiming he could “grab them by the pussy.”“To me, these awards are about resilience. When you think about the president, who is an incredibly anti-women president… all of that is tremendously discouraging,” director of the ACLU’s Women’s Rights Project, Ria Tabacco Mar, said. “But Justice Ginsburg really personifies resilience.” Iman told The Daily Beast she thought having Trump practically next door made the awards the “perfect time and place” to celebrate and uplift women. “Own it. Be together, and under the umbrage of Ruth,” she said.Lana Condor, of Netflix’s To All The Boys fame, said men and women needed to start coming together in order to advance women’s rights—a notion that Ginsburg later reiterated in her own remarks.“These are rooms that there needs to be more and more of, but I also think there needs to be men here and see this, because they also need to champion women,” she told The Daily Beast.She also said an issue that really mattered to her was “bullying” between the political parties, which discouraged “softness” and perpetuated “not a lot of listening to both sides.” Condor said she observed this in her peers, but also among the high-powered politicos that populated Washington.“No one’s ever respected a bully,” she said. “I think that every single time I read a tweet that comes from the higher-ups in this government that’s just genuinely being a bully, it’s just unfortunate because I would like to be led by someone who is not a bully.”Guests most connected to the upper echelons of Washington—Kloss (the sister-in-law of White House adviser Jared Kushner) and Clinton—didn’t make themselves available for questions from reporters.However, Clinton did speak about one time she “particularly” related to the experiences of Ginsburg while presenting her award. Ginsburg was just one of nine women in admitted into a 500-person class at Harvard Law in 1956.“I was admitted into Harvard (Law) and went to a cocktail party to decide whether I wanted to go there. I was introduced to a professor by a friend of mine… and he looked down at me, this professor, and said… we don’t need any more women,” Clinton said, eliciting gasps from the audience. “And that was in 1969.”Ginsburg said she still thought “unconscious bias” was the biggest obstacle to real gender equality in today’s culture, noting it was “better than it once was” but everyone still “recognize[d] that it exists” and there remained a “lower expectation when you hear a woman’s voice.”“If you want to put women’s rights on the human’s rights agenda, you need men to be involved too,” she said. Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

Enes Kanter: The Athletes of the WNBA Are Fighting for Equality. We in the NBA Need to Fight Beside Them

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Former Rep. Katie Hill says she was sexually assaulted 'four times' before graduating high school

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'No expiration date on equality': House breathes life into Equal Rights Amendment for women

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