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International Women's Day March 8 2018

In honour of and respect for International Women's Day 2018 we've gathered some somewhat light-hearted shorties we hope you'll enjoy.

International Women's Day: Eight moments that make it the year of the woman

The #MeToo movement against male harassment has empowered women in the US and elsewhere, but it is not the only women's movement to have an impact over the last year. BBC journalists choose other key triumphs that have made this a momentous year for women around the world. Read it here ->

Take ownership of purple in 2018

Purple is historically associated with efforts to achieve gender equality. In this context it was first used alongside green and white as the colours of the Women’s Social and Political Union, the organisation that led Britain’s women’s suffrage movement in the early 20th century.  Colour trendsetter Pantone has selected “ultra-violet” as its 19th “Color of the Year” to communicate “originality, ingenuity and visionary thinking that points us towards the future.”  Read more on the International Women's Day Website here ->

Feminism was Merriam-Webster online dictionary's most looked up word for 2017

“Feminism” had more people scratching their heads in 2017 than any other word, according to Merriam-Webster online dictionary. The noun was looked up more than any other word, a 70 percent increase from the previous year, coinciding with a spike in news coverage related to women’s rights, the dictionary reported. Read more here ->

Frida Kahlo And Other Historic Women Are Being Made Into Barbies

Mattel is also honoring a few living legends, including Olympian Chloe Kim, this International Women's Day. We love this announcement because Barbie was a huge part of our childhoods. And just look at these beautiful women! Read more here ->

Diageo introduces ‘Jane Walker’ Scotch to attract women

Diageo's popular Johnnie Walker is rolling out a female version of its iconic logo, an attempt to draw more women to the world’s best-selling scotch and acknowledge a broader push toward gender equality. A limited U.S. edition of the whisky has a striding woman on the label rather than the traditional top-hatted man. The spirit carries the name of "Jane Walker". Johnnie Walker donating $1 from each bottle produced to two women’s causes - for a total of $250,000 to the Monumental Women nonprofit, to erect a statue of suffragettes in Central Park, and to the She Should Run organization, to boost women seeking election to public office. Read more here ->

Spotify releases new feature for International Women's Day

Spotify and Smirnoff have released the "Smirnoff Equalizer" - a feature that maps out a user's listening habits by gender and could change how you listen to music. Spotify's latest tool is a step in the right direction when it comes to music. The equaliser is a pretty cool concept in terms of gender equality and expanding your musical tastes. Read more here ->

McDonald's is flipping its iconic arches upside down in an unprecedented statement

The upside-down arches are in "celebration of women everywhere," a McDonald's representative told Business Insider in an email. McDonald's says it will turn its logo upside down on all its digital channels, such as Twitter and Instagram, on Thursday, while 100 restaurants will have special "packaging, crew shirts and hats, and bag stuffers" to celebrate.

Could this indicate the company, which took in $698.7 million in net income during the final quarter of 2017, will discontinue actively fighting against paying its employees — the majority of whom are likely women — a living wage. According to Eater: "MacDonalds has filed lawsuits against cities attempting to increase minimum wages at the local level ... So in order to celebrate the fact that McDonald’s CEO made 74 times as much as the company’s lowest-paid worker, who’s statistically likely to be a woman, the brand will give out a few t-shirts and invert its infamous “Golden Arches.” Cool.  Read more here ->