+
upworthy

Sweden is giving every 16-year-old a gift to help them understand feminism.

First Beyoncé, now Sweden? Yes, please.

Sweden is making sure its teenagers understand what an equal world looks like.

The Swedish Women's Lobby, together with publishing company Albert Bonniers Förlag and the UN Association of Sweden, just announced that every high school sophomore will be given a gift: a copy of the book "We Should All Be Feminists" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

It's not your typical high school reading, but perhaps it should be. The gesture could greatly benefit Sweden's future — its health, economy, happiness, the whole shebang (yeah, she-bang seems about right). That's exactly why they're doing it.


Translated in Swedish, of course.

The 52-page book written by Nigerian novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is an adaptation from the incredibly popular TED Talk she gave in 2013. Which, if you didn't see it, was so powerful that Beyoncé herself sampled it in the beginning of her song "Flawless."

Queen Bey and Adichie's real talk. GIF from "***Flawless."

(That's when you know you've made it.)

So far, 100,000 copies of the book have already been handed out, and many more are still to come.

In the book, Adichie explores the complexity of feminism, what it's like being a woman in today's world, and why we must think about the ways we treat each other in order to live in a fully productive society.

Adichie at the Girls Write Now Awards. Image by Janette Pellegrini/Getty Images.

"Our hope is that the Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie text will open up a conversation about gender and gender roles, starting from young people's own experiences," said Albert Bonnier publisher Johanna Haegerström at the press conference.

You won't find any preachy, "blah, blah, blah" moments in the book. It's personal, easy to digest from all backgrounds, and a sensible call to action. And it's short! With only 52 pages, it goes by fast, but its words are quick to strike a cord with many.

It could be the most productive 52 pages a teenager (or anyone) reads all year.

In a time where some still cringe at use of the word "feminism," and famous feminists get asked not to use the word in speeches ON the topic of feminism, it's clear that we're not all on the same page ... yet.

But when it comes down to it, the majority of people agree: Women and men should be treated equally. That's the entire basis of feminism.

Sweden is already considered one of the best countries to be a woman through its health and education outcomes. Now, if every 16-year-old girl (and even if every 16-year-old boy) were given a copy of Adichi's book, who knows? Sweden could see gender parity in the next generation or two.

Props to Sweden on grabbing the word "feminism" and holding it up for the rest of the world to see with pride.

With open minds and better understanding, countries that embrace women's and men's equal rights are much better suited to succeed than those that don't.

Sweden is on the right side of history.

Family

Mom calls out teacher who gave her son a 'zero' grade for not providing class with supplies

Her viral video sparked a debate as to whether or not providing school supplies should be mandatory for parents.

@shanittanicole/TikTok

A zero grade for not providing school supplies?

The debate as to whether or not parents should supply classroom supplies is not new. But as prices continue to rise, parents are growing more baffled as to how they can be expected by teachers to provide all the various glue sticks, colored pencils, rulers and other various items the incoming students might need.

What’s even more perplexing, however, is penalizing the children of parents who won’t (or can’t) provide them.

This was the case for Shanitta Nicole, who discovered her son received a zero grade in his new school for not bringing school supplies for the entire classroom.
Keep ReadingShow less

A group of men look at paperwork.

The massive changes to the American workplace caused by the COVID-19 pandemic invited many to reconsider their professional lives. This reevaluation has led people to push for improved work-life balance, and many now are looking for work to provide a greater sense of meaning and purpose.

When the world returned to work after COVID, many believed they deserved to be treated better by their employers. This resulted in many taking a break from the workforce or changing professions altogether. It also helped usher in a more comfortable culture for calling out companies that don’t treat their employees respectfully.

Recently, a group of thousands came together on Reddit to expose the common mistruths that people often hear at the workplace. It all started when a Redditor named PretenstoKnow asked: "What's the most common lie employers tell their employees?" And over 2,600 people responded.

Keep ReadingShow less

Golden Retrievers are the ultimate good doggos.


If there's any dog breed that encapsulates "good doggo" energy, it's the Golden Retriever. Friendly, gentle, good-natured and oh-so-affectionate, Goldens have come by their reputation honestly. Even "I'm not a dog person" people tend to find themselves taken by Golden Retrievers, and a post on TikTok demonstrates why.

The video shared by @hugoandursula is captioned "my dog getting cuddles from strangers on the train," and that's exactly what it shows in the most adorable montage ever.

Keep ReadingShow less
Photo Credit: William Fortunado via Canva

Amanda Seals breaks down history of DAP handshake

We've all seen people do it. Anywhere from basketball players on television to kids meeting up at the skating rink. Even former president Barack Obama when greeting a mixed group of men gave "DAP" to the Black men in the group, yet switched to a firm handshake when greeting the other men.

It was almost like watching the president code switch, but with body language, in a move that many Black Americans recognize as a gesture of acceptance and comradery. But did you know that there's an actual history behind the DAP that has nothing to do with looking cool? Social justice educator and actress, Amanda Seales, recently re-shared a clip from "The Real" where she was diving into the history of the handshake.

Seales, who has a master's degree in African American Studies from Columbia University, was also admittedly surprised when she learned there was a deeper meaning to the gesture.

Keep ReadingShow less
Health

Neuroscientist reveals perfect amount of time to spend on social media for your mental health

Over several weeks, the participants felt less loneliness, depression and anxiety.

@rachelle_summers/TikTok

Anyone can use this checklist.

There are pretty clear cut guidelines on how much screen time kids should have, but for adults…not so much. And perhaps it’s this lack of clarity that leaves people to go on full blown digital detoxes or get off social media entirely.

And while there is certainly a case to be made for that decision, for many of us, that isn’t quite feasible—especially in certain lines of work.

Luckily, according to neuroscientist Rachelle Summers, there is a way we can still be on social media, without being subjected to its negative side effects.
Keep ReadingShow less
Photo by Kats Weil on Unsplash

Ready for a refreshingly wholesome story?

The stereotypical image we get of bachelor parties is a booze-filled evening of depravity and bad choices. Followed of course by a massive hangover…and some regrets.

And granted, there are plenty of viral videos to show that this is sometimes the case. But there are also plenty of grooms who don’t see it as their “last night as a free man.” On the contrary, they see it as an opportunity to simply celebrate the next chapter with close friends.

Case and point: a husband-to-be named Luke, who apparently couldn’t stop “gushing” about his bride, Sam. This, according to a woman also named Sam, who happened to be at the bar Luke was having his bachelor party at.
Keep ReadingShow less