The World’s Most Powerful Women: June 1

June 1, 2016

Good morning, WMPW readers! A Finnish journalist has come under attack from the pro-Russian “troll army,” China now has extra large pink parking spots for women (I’m not kidding), and Donna Karan has a new mission. Want to share some news about an exceptional woman? You can find me on Twitter at @laurascohn. Have a good Wednesday!

THE BIG STORY

Attacking the trolls When Finnish journalist Jessikka Aro set out to uncover viewers’ experiences with Russia’s so-called online “troll army,” she did not expect to become a target of the belligerent pro-Russian forces herself. Yet that’s precisely what happened. Aro, an investigative reporter with Finnish state broadcaster Yle Kioski, has not only received disparaging emails, she has been depicted as a deranged woman in a YouTube video. Given that both NATO and the European Union have special units to fight the threat the pro-Russian trolls pose to order and security, Aro was right to dig into the issue. But it came with a cost. As Aro, who recently received the Finnish Grand Prize for Journalism, puts it: “Everything in my life went to hell thanks to the trolls.” New York Times

EUROPE/MIDDLE EAST/AFRICA

Challenges in France

Being a working mother in France is not without its challenges. The Economist has written a frank piece that discusses the downside, which it dubs “a tolerance of sexual entitlement,” and the upside (free state nursery).

Economist

Nabbing partnerships

Deloitte is promoting a record 24 women to partner this year. The group, which makes up 30% of the 80 employees who were bumped up, marks an increase from two years ago, when just 13 out of 65 new partners—some 20%—were women.

Telegraph

Working outside the law

Syrian refugee Lara Shaheen started building her handicraft business in Jordan by selling hand-made objects on Facebook. But Shaheen’s business, called Syrian Jasmine, now employs five full-time female workers and comes with many challenges.

Newsweek

ASIA-PACIFIC

Parking political correctness

It sounds like a story from the satirical newspaper The Onion, but apparently China now has extra large parking spots for women. The state-run Qianjiang Evening News reports the spaces, which are one and a half times the size of other parking spots and sparked a storm of debate online, are outlined in pink and have a skirt-wearing icon in the center.

Los Angeles Times

Creating a pipeline

The women’s division of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce is building a pipeline of female execs to help companies meet rising demand for a diverse set of directors. By law, listed companies must have at least one female director, but some have failed to comply and have faced fines.

Business Standard

THE AMERICAS

Donna’s new mission

A year after leaving her fashion house, Donna Karan has embarked on several new missions, including the luxury home decor line Urban Zen and bringing alternative remedies to traditional health care facilities.

Washington Post

Beyond Thin Mints

Facing a decline in membership, Girl Scouts CEO Anna Maria Chavez is focusing on revitalizing the brand through an enhanced online presence that teaches girls about e-commerce.

Wall Street Journal

Broads on Broadway

Has it been a good year for women on Broadway? All-female creative teams in the musical “Waitress” and the play “Eclipsed” mean there has been progress, but there is room for improvement, as discussed in this chat between The New York Times theater critics Laura Collins-Hughes and Alexis Soloski.

New York Times