Greta Thunberg, the Swedish schoolgirl who inspired a global movement to fight climate change, has been named Time magazine’s Person of the Year for 2019.
The 16-year-old is the youngest person to be chosen by the magazine in a tradition that started in 1927.
Shortly before the announcement, she told a UN climate change summit in Madrid that the next decade would define the planet’s future.
She urged world leaders to stop using “creative PR” to avoid real action.
Last year, the teenager started an environmental protest outside the Swedish parliament building, sparking a worldwide movement that became popular with the hashtag #FridaysForFuture.
Announcing Time’s decision on NBC, editor-in-chief Edward Felsenthal said: “She became the biggest voice on the biggest issue facing the planet this year, coming from essentially nowhere to lead a worldwide movement.”
The magazine’s tradition, which started as Man of the Year, recognises the person who “for better or for worse… has done the most to influence the events of the year”. Last year, it named killed and imprisoned journalists, calling them “The Guardians”.
This article originally appeared on BBC It was reposted in the interest of our readers. All rights reserved with the respective owners of the information.
Earlier today, 5 December, three female Appeals Court judges were elevated to hold the highest posts in the Malaysian Judiciary system
According to Bernama, the three female judges were promoted to the post of Federal Court judges, the apex court in Malaysia.
They are Datuk Zaleha Yusof, Datuk Zabariah Mohd Yusof, and Datuk Hasnah Mohammed Hashim.
(From left to right) Datuk Zaleha Yusof, Datuk Zabariah Mohd Yusof, and Datuk Hasnah Mohammed Hashim to be promoted to Federal Court judges.Image via Kehakiman via Free Malaysia Today
Another female judge was named as the President of the Court of Appeal
Datuk Rohana Yusuf, who is a Federal Court judge, was sworn in today, making her the first woman to reach the second-highest position in the judiciary, reported Malay Mail.
Rohana’s swearing-in was said to be witnessed by Chief Justice (CJ) Tan Sri Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat, who created history earlier this year after she was appointed as the first female CJ in Malaysia.
Other than the aforementioned female judges, the other female Federal Court judge is Datuk Nallini Pathmanathan.
Following the promotions, there are now a total of six female Federal Court judges – a first in Malaysian history
“For the first time, the apex court will have a total of six women judges,”Free Malaysia Today quoted a source as saying.
According to AskLegal, there are 10 positions in the Federal Court, namely Chief Justice, the President of the Court of Appeal, Chief Judge of Malaya, Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak, and six Federal Court judges.
Meanwhile, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong expressed his happiness at the appointments
Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah conveyed that the appointment of many female judges reflects the efforts and sensitiveness of the national administration in featuring the involvement of women in the judiciary, Chief Comptroller of Istana Negara, Datuk Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin said in a statement.
The Agong gave out eight official appointment letters at the Istana Negara earlier today, out of which only three were male judges.
One other female judge from the High Court, Datuk Hadhariah Syed Ismail, was appointed as Appeals Court judge.
This article originally appeared on SAYS.COM It was reposted in the interest of our readers. All rights reserved with the respective owners of the information.
The Arts Council of Pakistan has been forced to backtrack after it emerged that a discussion on feminism it is hosting was to have an all-male panel.
An outcry on social media resulted in two women guests being added, and Friday’s event in Karachi was renamed.
The original title, Feminism: The Other Perspective, drew derision and has now been recast as Understanding Feminism.
Organizers say male decision-makers were to share views on feminism, but many critics questioned the very idea.
In overwhelmingly patriarchal Pakistan, having an all-male panel discuss feminism didn’t seem the obvious way to tackle gender inequality.
These men wanna give the ‘other perspective’ on feminism. Maybe the intention here was to use their privilege for the cause – but this isn’t how allyship works. This is, however, what taking up space looks like.
It is also what men exploiting feminism to build capital looks like
After sustained criticism on social media, two women speakers were added to the panel – feminist Mehtab Akbar Rashdi and journalist Quatrina Hosain – and Uzma al-Karim’s name were made more prominent in the amended literature.
Many criticised the men who’d agreed to take part, accusing them of using feminism to further their own interests.
One woman, Erum Haider, tweeted: “The men I know who are feminists would be embarrassed to be on this panel.”
Discussion host Uzma al-Karim told BBC Urdu: “Our purpose was to get men having decision-making powers in major media houses and those with a following to talk about their understanding of feminism.
“We wanted to register their perception because they were in a position to influence public opinion. And that’s why we called it ‘the other perspective’.”
One of the men taking part in the discussion, human rights activist Jibran Nasir, said he’d found the original title misleading.
“I was informed the panel is about men talking to other men about rethinking masculinity and why as men we need feminism. It wasn’t to explain feminism or talk about women issues as men,” he tweeted.Skip Twitter post by @MJibranNasir
Jibran Nasir declined to comment when asked by the BBC whether he was told clearly what was to be debated, and whether he had been told by the Arts Council there were to be no women on the panel.
“It’s not such a big issue,” he said. “People had raised some objections, following which the management made some changes, and I’m only a guest at the event.”
Nida Kirmani, professor of social sciences at Lahore University of Management Sciences, says the issue of men debating feminism is justified – but the Arts Council failed to clarify the concept and that’s why there was such a big reaction on social media.
“I think this reaction was also caused by the fact that we are getting sick of seeing male panellists endlessly debating frivolous issues on electronic media,” she said.
“Rarely do we see a woman protagonist, and this seems normal to most people.”
This article originally appeared on BBC NEWS. It was reposted in the interest of our readers. All rights reserved with the respective owners of the information.
New Zealand’s prime minister Jacinda Ardern is known for being open and likable – but critics say that makes her a weak leader. She tells the BBC how she’s trying to chart a different path.
This article originally appeared on BBC NEWS. It was reposted in the interest of our readers. All rights reserved with the respective owners of the information.
“I was raised to be limitless… [and] I was born an artist.” These are the words of 27-year-old Ofentse Pitse, a woman who is carving her name into the history books. Pitse is the first black South African woman to conduct and own the first-ever all-black orchestra, Anchored Sound.
The Mabopane-born architect believes her musical gift is a calling; her late grandfather Otto Pitse was also an orchestra conductor and trumpet player.
She first played an instrument at the age of 12. She grew up in a single-parent home and her mom was always supportive of her endeavors. She fell in love with sounds from there and was exposed to many types of music, ranging from gospel to jazz. She credits her grandfather as well and believes she is his reincarnation. People have shown their appreciation and enthusiasm for a female orchestra conductor.
“Conducting is a whole different ballgame. You have to have a particular understanding, the mind, and the spirit for each and every instrument. You have to have an understanding, you have to do a lot of research.
“You have to have a certain kind of confidence to stand on that podium and lift a baton and conduct people who are looking at you saying, ‘but she’s a woman’, because they are used to these old men standing in front of them, conducting. You have to walk in there with a certain kind of reverence and confidence.”
Pitse is a forward-thinking and bold young woman and she credits her mentors for her classical music knowledge as she does not have a formal musical qualification.
“My teaching was unconventional, nothing was on paper. The furthest I went in music was grade three or grade four and everything else was basically mentoring. Early this year, I reached out to two of the best conductors, one being Mr Thami Zungu, the head of music at TUT and Mr Gerben Grooten, the conductor of the UP philharmonic. These are amazing conductors… they have spent a lot of their time teaching and crafting this talent within me,” Pitse said.
The orchestra has a vocal coach who helps with training the members as though some are studying music at tertiary while others are pursuing other avenues, but still want to utilise their talents.
Her vision for the orchestra is that they contribute in shedding light on African composers and propel each other and other young black youth to excellence.
“I’m a believer in the black narrative and a believer in the black child.”
This article originally appeared on sowetandlive.co.za It was reposted in the interest of our readers. All rights reserved with the respective owners of the information.
Chloe Swarbrick, a member of the Green Party, shut down an older politician who interrupted her speech on climate change.
Swarbrick used the viral phrase to shut down an older heckler
A video of a 25-year-old politician in New Zealand, who used the phrase “Okay boomer” to casually swat away an older heckler in parliament, has gone viral.
Chloe Swarbrick, a member of the Green Party, used the popular meme adopted by millennials – widely considered to be aged between 23 and 38 – during a debate about climate change.
he politician was discussing the Zero Carbon bill – which would set a target of zero carbon emissions for the country by 2050 – and claimed the burden of tackling the climate crisis would fall on her generation.
She said: “How many world leaders, for how many decades, have seen and known what is coming, but have decided that it is more politically expedient to keep it behind closed doors?
“My generation and the generations after me do not have that luxury.
“In the year 2050, I will be 56 years old – yet, right now, the average age of this 52nd parliament is 49 years old.”
At that point, an older politician – reported to be Todd Muller, the opposition spokesperson for climate change – interrupted her speech, to which she coolly responded with “Okay boomer” – and carried on.
Ms Swarbrick hit back at online criticism, firing back at one user, saying: “I was talking about the generation that comes after us not having the luxury of ignoring this, all the while being met with a barrage of yelling.
“I then spoke about being 56 in 2050, and both Todd and Scott kept yelling. So I responded. Were you in the House?”
This article originally appeared on skynews. It was reposted in the interest of our readers. All rights reserved with the respective owners of the information.
Greta Thunberg and Leonardo DiCaprio are teaming up to end the climate crisis.
“There are few times in human history where voices are amplified at such pivotal moments and in such transformational ways – but Greta Thunberg has become a leader of our time,” DiCaprio wrote on Instagram. “History will judge us for what we do today to help guarantee that future generations can enjoy the same livable planet that we have so clearly taken for granted.”
Thunberg recently delivered a powerful speech to world leaders at the UN. The speech was a departure from her usually reserved demeanor. Emotionally, she scolded world leaders. She warned them that young people of today will be watching and holding them accountable for climate offenses.
“I hope that Greta’s message is a wake-up call to world leaders everywhere that the time for inaction is over,” DiCaprio wrote. “It is because of Greta, and young activists everywhere that I am optimistic about what the future holds. It was an honor to spend time with Greta. She and I have made a commitment to support one another, in hopes of securing a brighter future for our planet.”
This article originally appeared on livekindly.co. It was reposted in the interest of our readers with a more feminist headline. All rights reserved with the respective owners of the information.
33-year-old @allysonfelix breaks Usain Bolt’s record for a number of gold medals in the world championships! She’s a mom of a preemie baby who lost her Nike sponsorship because she advocated for pay protection during pregnancy. #motherhood
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce of Jamaica, who was the first mom to win an Olympic or world 100m title in 24 years and the oldest woman (mother or not) to do it at age 32!
Anything I write beyond this will pale in comparison, but let me try.
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce’s eleven-year reign over the 100m:
Year Event Gold Medal Time 2008 Olympics 10.78 2009 Worlds 10.73 2012 Olympics 10.70 2013 Worlds 10.71 2015 Worlds 10.76 2019 Worlds 10.71
A decade after her maiden World Championships title, Shelly-Ann did it for the fourth time.
Unlike her previous appearances, though, the victory wasn’t really anticipated this time. She was coming after a break that she took while pregnant and was competing with the best around the world.
However, in her typical style, she did what had never been done before.
And in another interview given to CNN, she said: My secret is just staying humble and just know who you are as a person and athlete and just continue to work hard. It’s a wonderful feeling having my son witnessing this.
Her 2-year-old son Zyon even joined her on the field, making it one of the most historic images of our times
This article originally appeared on ScoopWhoop. It was reposted in the interest of our readers. All rights reserved with the respective owners of the information.
Esther Duflo has said she is “humbled” by her success in winning this year’s Nobel prize for economics and hopes it will “inspire many, many other women”.
Prof Duflo was part of a trio, alongside her husband Abhijit Banerjee and Michael Kremer, to win the prize.
Their work had “dramatically improved our ability to fight poverty in practice”, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, which awards the prize, said.
Prof Duflo is only the second woman to win the prize since it began in 1969.
At 46 years old, she is also the youngest recipient of the prize.
“Showing that it is possible for a woman to succeed and be recognised for success I hope is going to inspire many, many other women to continue working and many other men to give them the respect that they deserve like every single human being,” she said.
Prof Duflo’s husband was her PhD supervisor and their work, alongside that of Prof Kremer’s, has focused on poor communities in India and Africa. Their research helps show which investments are worth making and also what has the biggest impact on the lives of the poorest people.
For example, their research in India found a high level of absenteeism among teachers. They found employing them on short-term contracts, which would be extended if they had good results, led to significantly better test results for students.
Another project looked at how the demand for de-worming pills for parasitic infections was affected by price. They found that three quarters of parents gave their children these pills when the medicine was free, compared to just 18% when they cost less than a US dollar, which was still heavily subsidised.
The research has helped inform decisions on whether medicine and healthcare should be charged for and, if so, at what price.
Image captionAbhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo and Michael Kremer
Prof Banerjee and Prof Duflo both work at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US, while Prof Kremer works at Harvard University.
“I didn’t think it was possible to win the Nobel Prize in Economics before being significantly older than any of the three of us,” Prof Duflo said.
The trio will receive nine million Swedish krona (£728,000).
Effective tutoring
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said the winners had introduced “a new approach to obtaining reliable answers about the best ways to fight global poverty”.
It said they had broken the complex issue into “smaller, more manageable questions” making it easier to tackle.
“As a direct result of one of their studies, more than five million Indian children have benefited from effective programmes of remedial tutoring in school,” the Academy said.
“Another example is the heavy subsidies for preventive healthcare that have been introduced in many countries.”
The Nobel economics prize – technically known as the Sveriges Riksbank Prize – is the only award not created by philanthropist Alfred Nobel.
Instead, the economics prize was created by the Swedish central bank “in memory of Alfred Nobel” and first awarded in 1969.
Last year, William Nordhaus and Paul Romer won the prize for their work on sustainable growth.
The US economists’ research focused on how climate change and technology have affected the economy.
In 2017, US economist Richard Thaler, author of the best seller Nudge, won for his work in behavioural economics.
Since it was first awarded in 1969, Americans have dominated the awards.
This article originally appeared on BBC News. It was reposted in the interest of our readers. All rights reserved with the respective owners of the information.
