Anne Aly is the first Muslim woman elected to Australia’s Parliament and yesterday she delivered a blistering speech on what it’s like to be marginalized because of her gender.
Delivering this year’s Emily’s List Oration in Canberra, Aly, a counter-terrorism expert who was elected this year, argued that women’s full representation in Parliament should be a pillar of contemporary Australian society. Not only are women underrepresented in Australia’s government, Aly said she is frequently instructed to not complain about such inequity. “Too often I am told I must be quiet, a delicate flower, grateful for the equalities and opportunities afforded me because I live in Australia and not Saudi Arabia,” she said.
Her speech is especially relevant because it comes at a time when Australia is losing ground globally in terms of female representation in politics. The share of women in Parliament slipped from 42nd in the world to 50th after an election in July. But her message also resonates beyond borders and serves as a rallying cry for those fighting for gender equality.
“History is truly watching us, and we will be judged tomorrow for what we do today, so let’s find more women,” she said. “Let’s build a movement bigger than any of us have ever seen. Let’s disrupt, let’s destroy the joint and when we celebrate wins, let’s make sure all of us have something to celebrate. Only by doing so can we truly adhere to the core principle of feminism.”
EUROPE/MIDDLE EAST/AFRICA
| . |
| A CEO slain |
| The Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank has confirmed that its CEO Nevine Loutfy, the first-ever female head of an Islamic bank, has died. The bank only said that Loufty had passed away, but The National reports that she was found with multiple stab wounds and a man has been arrested in connection with her alleged murder. |
| The National |
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| Pouring cold water |
| Kristen Forbes, one of the most hawkish members of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee, told a conference yesterday that the degree to which uncertainty will hit the British economy has been overstated. “Despite this heightened discussion about uncertainty, U.K. economic performance has been solid,” she said. |
| Financial Times |
THE AMERICAS
| Nordstrom sticks with Ivanka... |
| Fortune's Jennifer Reingold digs into Nordstrom's decision to continue selling Ivanka Trump items. The store faced a lose-lose situation; both supporters of Trump and her critics threatened to boycott depending on what Nordstrom decided. In the end, the store deferred to its bottom line. "If people don’t buy [a brand], we won’t sell it,” co-President Pete Nordstrom wrote in a letter to employees. And the Ivanka Trump brand “has grown to be a sizable and successful business,” so the store concluded that it’s not worth jettisoning, even if some of its customers feel passionately that it should. |
| Fortune |
| . |
| ...while Ivanka steps back from her brand |
| In a public letter, Ivanka Trump's company said she is taking steps to disengage from her brand’s social media channels since the company's mission is "not political." The move will allow her to take advantage of her heightened visibility to tackle issues of "critical importance to American women and families." |
| Fortune |
| . |
| Donald Trump's first female pick... |
| If Nikki Haley is confirmed as Donald Trump's ambassador to the UN, she'll be the fifth woman to hold the position. The role is among the cabinet and cabinet-level positions that women have held most. No. 1 is secretary of Labor, a post seven women have assumed, and No. 2 is the secretary of Health and Human Services, a role five women have occupied so far. |
| Fortune |
| . |
| ...and his second |
| Trump also tapped Betsy DeVos as secretary of Education. The 58-year-old has been active in Republican Party politics for decades in Michigan and is a staunch supporter of school vouchers. She’s chairwoman of the American Federation for Children, which backs vouchers and tax credits to give parents choices for schools. |
| Bloomberg |
ASIA-PACIFIC
| "Women 4 Maria" |
| Maria Chin Abdullah is chairperson of Bersih 2.0, a pro-democracy and anticorruption coalition group in Malaysia. She was arrested last week on the eve of a massive Bersih protest in the Malaysian capital and has been held in solitary confinement ever since. Protests and nightly vigils are demanding her release. Time has a profile of Chin and her years of activism for women's rights. |
| Time |
| . |
| Blue pills in the Blue House |
| Just when you thought the controversy surrounding South Korean President Park Geun-hye couldn't get any weirder, it does. Reuters reports that her office says it bought dozens of Viagra pills for her trip to Africa this year, not for anyone's erectile dysfunction but to treat possible altitude sickness. After the disclosure, Viagra became the most-searched keyword among South Koreans, many of whom are calling for Park's resignation. |
| Reuters |
IN BRIEF
| Inside the anti-domestic violence protests that took over London |
| Broadly |
| Why many in Aung San Suu Kyi's Myanmar are losing hope for peace |
| Time |
| Third-party candidate Jill Stein plans to file for an election recount in 3 U.S. states |
| Fortune |
| The resurgent appeal of Stevie Nicks |
| Vulture |
| Meet the 16-year-old star behind the voice of Disney’s 'Moana' |
| Motto |
| Rita Barberá, the ‘Mayoress of Spain,’ dies two days after testifying in a money-laundering case |
| Wall Street Journal |
PARTING WORDS
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