Feminist Weekly Update: October 4, 2016

Feminist Update
Your weekly update on all things feminism. Keep up to date on the election, the news, and what is going on in the world of women.

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WGF Updates: 
WGF wants to help PA #LeadOnLeave: Did you know that the Women and Girls Foundation and PathWays PA are co-leading a statewide campaign through their PA Coalition for Healthy Families and Workplaces to secure paid family leave for all workers? Click here to learn more and join us!
Register to vote: There is still time to register to vote in PA! Make your voice heard and visit Chatham University’s Registration site to receive election reminders, get registered to vote, & apply for your absentee ballot!
Rally against workplace sexual harassment: On Thursday, Oct. 6, Fight for $15 is joining Pittsburgh UNITED, One Pittsburgh, and other advocates to take a stand against sexual harassment in the workplace. The event will be held at McDonalds on Forbes at 11:30 AM. See complete event information here.
 
In the News:
New study finds that guns offer women more danger than protection: In a study titled “When Men Murder Women,” the Violence Policy Center looked at homicide data from 2014 and found that 1,613 women were killed by men nationwide. The most common weapon used in these homicides were guns. Of the incidents where the offender was identified, 93 percent of victims were killed by a man they knew. Their conclusion: “For women in America, guns are not used to save lives, but to take them.” For more: Ms. Magazine
“We Won’t Wait” Summit pushes intersectional agenda: Held on September 19 and 20 in Washington D.C., the We Won’t Wait Summit gathered over 1,000 community leaders and organizers from across the country to be active leaders on the issues women face this election — with a particular focus on the intersections of race, class, and labor. Vivien Labaton of Make It Work said: “At a time where everyone is talking about the black vote, or the Latino vote, or the women’s vote, we want to say loud and clear that we don’t lead single issue lives and we need a comprehensive agenda that speaks to that interconnected reality. For more: Washington Post
Women in Poland go on strike against new law proposed to ban abortion: Wearing black in mourning for the anticipated loss of reproductive rights, women across Poland have gone on strike to protest a new law that would ban abortion. Many men joined them in “Black Monday” demonstrations on the streets of Warsaw, Gdansk and elsewhere. Pro-choice activists encouraged women to take the day off work and domestic tasks, and gather for meetings or demonstrations, to donate blood or do charity work. The action was inspired by a strike more than four decades ago by the women of Iceland, when 90 percent of women refused to work, cook, or mind their children for a day in October 1975. The predominantly Catholic country already has some of the strictest prohibitions in Europe against termination of pregnancy. For more: The Guardian
Report highlights the voting power of women of color: Women of color are a driving force in elections, contributing to the high voter turnout rates in the African American community in particular. As one one of the most progressive and reliable voting blocs, they tend to be especially active in presidential elections. While experts have been aware of this trend for some time, this new report concisely analyzes the relationship between voting trends and race, particularly as it relates to labor. Read it here.
Election Updates: 
Clinton and Trump engage in first presidential debate: Last week, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and Republican candidate Donald Trump debated for the first time on a public stage. The debate was very contentious, and the candidates clashed resoundingly on the economy, taxes, and national security. Clinton visibly aggravated her opponent, who proceeded to interrupt her over 50 times. For more: NPR
Note: the Vice Presidential Debate will take place tonight at 9 PM on CBS.
Feminists of the Week: Nancy Madrid and Atima Lui met at Harvard Business School and co-founded a company, called Nudest, with the intention of solving a problem they both had experienced throughout their lives: a monolithic standard of beauty in the West. Neither Atima (Sudanese-American) nor Nancy (Mexican-American) felt that there was a nude color in fashion that truly represented their complexions. Nudest is solving this problem by using a proprietary algorithm to curate nude apparel for women of all skin tones. For more: Forbes