QUICK FIRE NEWS 🧨

🧑🏿‍🎓 36 new Stormzy Scholarships to be awarded to Black students
⚙️ LinkedIn launching AI to help you apply for jobs
⚽️ Women’s World Cup ticket sales break record
🧓 Charity Compassion in Care finds LGBTQIA+ abuse in care homes
🚨 Lizzo faces sexual harassment allegations

LET'S GET INTO IT 🤓

Labour Party reverses on trans rights ⚧️ 

What's the latest?
After criticism from the right, Labour leader Keir Starmer has backtracked on trans rights. In a BBC radio interview, he said: “A woman is an adult female, so let’s clear that one up." There has also been a notable shift in their position on gender recognition reform - they no longer support the self-ID of trans people and Anneliese Dodds, Shadow Secretary of State for Women and Equalities, has spoken of protecting "biological women."

The response
LGBT+ Labour group have called the shift "very concerning", and say they will "push the Labour Party to continue to go further for our trans siblings, including on de-medicalised self-ID." Stonewall have said the UK has "gone from leading to lagging" on gender recognition.

Making breastfeeding work at work

The numbers
More than half a billion working women are not given "essential maternity protections." Moreover, the UK has some of the lowest breastfeeding rates, with eight out of ten stopping before they're ready.

What needs to change?
Employers have a responsibility to make breastfeeding at work comfortable and easy. The WHO have now published new guidelines which include: providing good parental leave and flexible working arrangements upon return; providing the time and physical space required for breastfeeding; exploring other accommodations such as on-site childcare.

Black female execs are leaving the entertainment industry

What's happening?
The Guardian have identified a troubling trend of black women exiting top entertainment and media companies. Some were laid off, others quit with varying reasons, but the trend has attracted concern.

Why?
We can't say for sure, but a lot of these hires were first made during the racial reckoning sparked by the BLM protests. One suggestion is that diversity efforts are no longer a priority, budgets are being cut and diversity fatigue is a big problem - something we're finding with our clients too. Another suggestion is that D&I roles take an emotional toll which often translates to lower retention rates.

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