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The Fast Company Impact Council is a private membership community of influential leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual membership dues for access to peer learning and thought leadership opportunities, events and more. Ageism in Hollywood is a tale as old as time. Its well-documented that older women have been less represented in mainstream media and female actors over 40 are less likely to get work compared to their male counterparts. The stigma surrounding aging women in entertainment has been so pervasive that many actresses have felt forced to hide the natural realities of aging. Actress Naomi Watts recently revealed, I was told I would never work again if I admitted to being menopausal. Her experience is not uniquemany women in the industry have echoed similar sentiments, facing a shrinking pool of opportunities as they age. This years award show season has shown that the tides are turning. Weve started to see a shift with actresses in Hollywood experiencing success later in life. One of the most discussed films of the past year, The Substance, tackles ageism head-on. And in a historic moment, Demi Moore44 years into her careerwon her first Golden Globe at 62 and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. During the Golden Globes, we saw seven of the Best Actress nominations go to women over the age of 40. These nominations signal a growing recognition that talent doesnt have to have an expiration date. For decades Hollywood has created the perception that women in their 40s and beyond, often when they are perimenopausal or menopausal, are past their primes and reaching the end of their careers. Moore previously shared that she almost quit acting because of ageism and how difficult it can be, particularly for women over 50. However, this cultural shift in Hollywood’s acceptance and celebration of aging women could change how this demographic is represented. Now the question is, will we see other industries shift their perceptions of midlife women? Heres why they should. Outdated research has failed menopausal women Before looking ahead, we have to understand how we got here. The societal stigma around aging has often overlapped with menopause, and unfortunately, thats led to a negative perception of this transitional period of a womans life. Menopause has been widely understudied. For example, a study in Nature Aging has shown that researchers havent properly considered menopause in 99% of studies of the biology of aging. Furthering the stigma, outdated research has led to a lack of treatment options for women experiencing menopause symptoms. The use of hormone therapy to treat menopause symptoms stopped nearly overnight due to a study showing that hormone therapy increased the risks of cancer. However, recent studies have debunked that theory and shown the benefits of hormone therapy outweigh the risks. The lack of research and controversial history around hormone therapy has hurt menopause care and prevented aging women from getting the adequate support they need. That all is changing. What the entertainment industry can teach Companies can take a page from Hollywoods playbook by supporting and empowering its female senior talent. Women in their 40s, 50s, and 60s are some of the most experienced managers, leaders, and mentors in the workplace. As they age, they are also often at the height of their careers. McKinsey and Lean In found that female leaders contribute more to employee engagementincluding creating an inclusive workplace and mentorshipthan their male counterparts, and another McKinsey report found that organizations with gender diversity of executive teams were 25% more likely to have above-average profitability compared to those who didnt. Senior female leaders are an essential part of the workforce. Yet according to our 2022 Menopause in the Workplace report, 46% of working women experiencing menopause said their 50s have been the most difficult time in their careers. Our latest data also showed that 50% of Gen X women have experienced ageism at work. Now is a critical time for companies to step up and support. Organizations must invest in meeting the evolving needs of their midlife female workforce. Investing in menopause support for senior women leaderssuch as access to specialized providers, educational resources, and coverage for hormone therapyenables these women to manage their symptoms effectively, remain at peak productivity, and pave the way for the next generation of female leaders. What happens in Hollywood strongly influences culture, including workplaces. On March 2, Moore is up for her first Oscar for her critically acclaimed role. No matter who wins, its a victory for Moore and all aging women at work. Asima Ahmad, MD, MPH, FACOG is cofounder and Chief Medical Officer of Carrot Fertility.
Category:
E-Commerce
From the rising cost of eggs and the staggering cost of housing, the constant chaos from mass government firings to the tariff threats against Canada and Mexico, Americans are struggling to cope with rampant economic uncertainty the best way they can: doom spending. One in 5 Americans say they are buying more than usual, “purchasing items excessively or impulsively in response to fears or anxiety about future events,” according to a recent report by CreditCards.com. The act of buying things as a way to self-soothe and cope with discomfort can be particularly problematic, especially when you’re worried about your personal finances and the economy at large in the first place. The survey, published in February 2025, examines consumer spending habits since President Donald Trump took office and focuses on the role economic factors and uncertainty play. Here are some key findings. Americans are buying more, driven by Trump tariffs President Trump’s proposed tariffs are weighing heavily on many people’s minds. In fact, more than one in 4, or 29%, of respondents say fear of Trumps tariffs greatly impacts their desire to make additional purchases. Trump has said, starting March 4 (next week!), he will slap a 25% tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico and may in the future even broaden the scope to include automobiles, pharmaceuticals, and semiconductorsall of which means higher prices for American consumers already dealing with cost of living concerns and inflation. Digging a little further, the report shows 19% of respondents say they are buying significantly (5%) or slightly more (14%) items than usual, and of this group, 29% say fear of Trumps tariffs greatly impacts their desire to make additional purchases, while 37% say its having some impact. Another pandemic also prompts spending The report found that 3 in 10 respondents are purchasing items to prepare for another pandemic. Meanwhile, 42% say they are, or will start, stockpiling items, mainly food and toilet paper. Also, since November 2024, 28% of respondents say they have made one large purchase (over $500) and 21% say they soon plan to. The most common of those large purchases were electronics (39%), home appliances (31%), and home improvement materials (25%). People also bought furniture (22%) and cars (17%). Finally, and perhaps the most worrisome finding of the report, is that 34% of respondents say they are likely to worsen or go into credit card debt this year to secure purchases.
Category:
E-Commerce
WASHINGTON (AP) The Republican-controlled Congress has voted to repeal a federal fee on oil and gas producers who release high levels of methane, undoing a major piece of former President Joe Biden’s climate policy aimed at controlling the planet-warming super pollutant.” The fee, which had not gone into effect, was expected to bring in billions of dollars. The Senate on Thursday voted along party lines 52-47 to repeal the fee, following a similar House vote on Wednesday. The measure now goes to President Donald Trump, who is expected to sign it. Methane is a much stronger global warming gas than carbon dioxide, especially in the short term, and is to blame for about one-third of the worlds warming so far. Oil and gas producers are among the biggest U.S. methane emitters and controlling it is critical to address climate change. Most major oil and gas companies do not release enough methane to trigger the fee, which is $900 per ton, an amount that would increase to $1,500 by 2026. The measure was part of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, but the Environmental Protection Agency didnt formally set rules until late last year. That timing made it vulnerable to the Congressional Review Act, which allows Congress to pass a resolution to undo rules that are finalized toward the end of a president’s term. If those resolutions pass and the president signs them, the rule is terminated and agencies cant issue a similar one again. Its a sorry testament to the influence of Big Oil on Capitol Hill that one of the top priorities of Congress is a blatant handout to the worst actors in the fossil fuel industry,” said Tyson Slocum, director of Public Citizens energy program. The American Petroleum Institute, the largest lobbying group for the oil and gas industry, applauded the move, calling the fee a duplicative, punitive tax on American energy production that stifles innovation.” Thanks to industry action, methane emissions continue to decline as production increases, and we support building on this progress through smart and effective regulation, said Amanda Eversole, the executive vice president and chief advocacy officer at API. Globally, methane concentrations in the atmosphere have been steadily climbing. Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, who chairs the Senate’s Environment and Public Works committee, spoke in favor of repeal on the Senate floor. We should be expanding natural gas production, not restricting it. Instead, the natural gas tax will constrain American natural gas production, leading to increased energy prices and providing a boost to the production of natural gas in Russia, she said. Repeal of the methane fee is the latest of several pro-oil and gas moves Republicans have taken since the start of Trump’s term. On his first day, he declared a national energy emergency, calling for more oil and gas production, and fewer environmental reviews. Democrats failed to overturn that declaration yesterday. Trump has also lifted a pause on new applications for liquified natural gas export terminals, removed the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement, and moved to open up more areas of public lands and waters for oil and gas drilling. The fee on methane releases was aimed at pushing companies to adopt better practices to curb emissions and make their operations more efficient. Technology exists to prevent leaks and to fix them. The EPA had said the fee was expected to reduce 1.2 million metric tons of methane emissions by 2035thats about the same as removing 8 million cars from the road for a year. The Biden administration had also implemented methane regulations on existing oil and gas wells, after addressing methane escaping from new wells. The EPA at the time meant for the fee to complement that rule and focus on the worst polluters. About half of all methane emissions from wells are from just 6% that are smaller producers, according to a recent study. Michael Phillis and Matthew Daly, Associated Press
Category:
E-Commerce
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