IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

Iranian people have been protesting against oppressive state laws for months, and dancing in the streets has become the latest symbol of defiance.

According to the latest World Happiness Report, global happiness levels have remained resilient, with altruism increasing. It is suggested that the hardships brought on by Covid inspired ongoing altruism.

“For a second year, we see that various forms of everyday kindness, such as helping a stranger, donating to charity, and volunteering are above pre-pandemic levels,” noted Prof Lara Aknin, director of the Happiness Lab at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada.

Researchers interviewed tens of thousands of people and tried to identify what contributes to their satisfaction. They found that social support, healthy life expectancy, the economy, freedom to make life choices and freedom from corruption were the main drivers of happiness.

This year’s edition once again ranked Finland the world’s happiest nation, followed by Denmark and Iceland. It is the fourth consecutive year in which the UK has dropped down the table. It now stands 19th.

On International Women’s Day this year, five young women posted a video of themselves dancing in the street without headscarves, an act deemed illegal in the country.

The video has since gone viral and is inspiring others to dance defiantly in the streets, in spite of the apology the women were forced to film.

“Nothing can stop the freedom of Iranian women,” wrote the IranianFrench actor Golshifteh Farahani, as she shared the video online.

Spain has passed a law allowing those with especially painful periods to take paid “menstrual leave” from work, in a European first.

The bill, approved by Parliament in February, is part of a broader package on sexual and reproductive rights that includes allowing anyone 16 and over to get an abortion or freely change the gender on their ID card.

The law gives the right to a three-day “menstrual” leave of absence - with the possibility of extending it to five days - for those with disabling periods, which can cause severe cramps, nausea, dizziness and even vomiting. The new law will help combat the stereotypes and myths that still surround periods and hinder women’s lives.

The Rose Review 2023, an independent analysis of female entrepreneurship, led by the CEO of NatWest Group, Dame Alison Rose, revealed that female entrepreneurs created some 150,000 businesses in 2022. That is more than double the number of 2018. Female-led companies now represent a fifth of all UK businesses, up from 16% in 2018. The absorbing review suggests that the UK economy could benefit from a £250bn boost if women set up businesses at the same rate as men.

“It’s a testament to the resilience and entrepreneurialism of female founders that they are creating more companies than ever before, and the Rose Review is expanding its support for their work,” said Rose.

“We will continue to provide fresh initiatives offering mentorship, guidance and inspiration for founders, alongside securing new commitments from financial services institutions to make it easier for female-led companies to access vital capital.”

Karen Woods, a best-selling author with 27 novels to her name knows it’s never too late and hopes to inspire other women over 40 to chase their dreams. The ‘Manchester Queen of Crime’ astonishingly didn’t learn to read or write until she was 39 years old.

After leaving school at 15, she raised her children and worked as a cleaner, always hiding her lack of literacy until she was offered a promotion that required sending emails. She accepted and her employer sent her on an adult literacy course where she discovered her knack for writing.

Now, Karen has had book deals with publishers HarperNorth, who has published her last seven books, and has written and directed sell-out shows in Manchester while also appearing on TV shows including Loose Women and The One Show. The author credits learning to read and write with changing her life, and says she wants to ‘represent those with troubled pasts’. She is also an ambassador for Adult Learning, and for Read Easy.

Sector leaders have warned of an “entire collapse” of the early years market if reported plans to expand free childcare for under-twos go ahead without adequate funding for the sector.