The Paris Olympics kicks off today and it's already made history as the first gender-equal games with an even split between male and female athletes. The IOC have also released new media guidelines this year that advise journalists to "focus less on women’s appearance and more on their performance."

The fact that this call out was necessary, however, is telling of the lack of gender equality persisting in Olympics, and sports more generally. Analysis of Tokyo 2020 coverage found that women were roughly 10 times more likely to be objectified by camera angles and 7 times more likely to be described in diminutive language. Black women can be particularly targeted by this coverage, and of course trans people have been at the centre of debates that try to push them out of sports entirely. There is progress that we can celebrate here but we should remember - when you're watching beach volleyball or gymnastics this weekend - it's not a win until everyone has equal access and dignity in sport.

- Cressida, Head of Content

QUICK FIRE NEWS 🧨

🏅 Olympics opens first-ever nursery to support parents

😡 Musk says his trans child was killed by "woke virus"

📺 Record year for Emmys diversity

🧕 French athletes face hijab ban at Olympics

🧑🧑🧒🧒 Two-child benefit cap upheld

LETS GET INTO IT 👇

Kamala Harris accused of being diversity hire 🤦♀️

What's going on? When Joe Biden dropped out of the US presidential race last week, Vice President Kamala Harris became the Democrat's new nominee. Unsurprisingly, she was immediately met with a torrent of sexism and racism.

Following in the far right inclination to dismiss anyone but white men as "wokeism" or "DEI gone mad", Kamala is the latest target. U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett accused Harris of being a "DEI hire"; Trump called Harris "dumb as a rock"; and JD Vance said Harris should be more “grateful.” The discrimination is stark - would Harris's credibility be as under attack if she was a white man? Trump, unlike Harris, had zero experience in government, yet his right to be there was seldom questioned.

"The truth is for most of American history, White men were the only people who were ever considered, it didn’t matter if they were mediocre."

- Democratic strategist, Keith Boykin

Diversity has been weaponised In the US, diversity has become a dirty word. Anti-DEI initiatives are sweeping the nation. Progress that was being made on levelling the playing field for underrepresented people at a disadvantage has now been dismissed as unfair, silly, and even dangerous. "DEI hires" have been blamed for crashing planes, and even the Trump shooting. This narrative positions any women or minorities in positions of power as unqualified and undeserving - this is the same misguided rhetoric used in the attack against Harris.

Will the UK get a "right to disconnect"? 📱💻⌚️

What's that? "Right to disconnect" is a new kind of legislation that has gained ground in some European countries. It aims to tackle the "always on" approach to working that became more of a problem after the pandemic by giving workers the right to fully disconnect from their devices.

Do we really need it? Longer working hours and the lack of boundaries between work and home life can have serious consequences. A study spanning 183 countries found:

⚠️ Raised levels of heart disease

⚠️ Increased risk of stroke

⚠️ Serious impact on mental health

Work has invaded our home lives. Previously, our homes were a safe space from the pressures of work. Now, we might be working at the same table we eat dinner at. It is almost impossible to completely switch off - this legislation won't necessarily fix that but it could set a helpful precedent.

86% of LGBTQ+ professionals don’t feel safe being themselves

Research from myGwork across 65 countries found that:

📌 86% of LGBTQ+ people don't feel safe to be their authentic selves at work

📌 58% of LGBTQ+ professionals are open about their sexuality in the workplace

📌 3/4 workplaces don't provide any mental health support or training

This research comes at a pertinent time following Pride month and the need to back up words of support with concrete workplace policies and training.

Explore diversity training options at Diversifying Group.

THIS WEEK WE'RE LOVING 🥰

👩🦯➡️ Mattel launches first blind Barbie

👩🔧 London's first all-female garage

🏋️ A queer history of the Olympics