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Welcome to The Leak💦 — Peanut's newsletter-shaped bestie, where we share women's news stories and expert advice that are too crucial to keep secret.

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👀 Better Parental Leave… but at What Cost?

France’s President Macron declared the country’s need for ‘demographic rearmament’ much to the dismay of women’s associations and left-wing politicians alike. Last year, France registered 678,000 births, a drop of 6.6% from the previous year (the lowest annual rate since World War II). While some (read: far-right National Rally Party) welcome the natalist pledge, others argue these policies are “contrary to the autonomy of women and constitute a worrying political and social regression.” Meanwhile, French lawmakers are working to enshrine abortion in their constitution. 

🤰 The Pope Said What?

Pope Francis has called for a universal ban on surrogacy, referring to it as a “deplorable” and “despicable” practice, that turns a child into “an object of trafficking”. What? 🤯 His theory is that surrogacy represents a violation of the dignity of both the woman and child, and is used as an exploitative method to adhere to the mother’s material needs. He goes on to argue that low-income mothers are being “treated as commodities”, but fails to address the difficulties many couples face when trying to conceive and the joys surrogacy can bring them. 

👩‍🔬 2024: The Standout Year for Women’s Health?

Promising trends from 2023 are leading to 2024 being the standout year that the women’s health industry deserves. November ‘23 welcomed the announcement of the first-ever Initiative on Women’s Health Research, announced by the White House, led by First Lady, Jill Biden. This looks to fund women’s health, close research gaps, education, and much more. Additionally, women’s health start-ups in 2023 saw gains in their average deal sizes, % of healthcare venture capital funding received and, equally as important, the attention they garnered. The hope is for this historically under-researched and overlooked space to have its much-needed transformative year! Watch this space…

📰 In Other News...

Welcome to Ask The Expert, where we ask a real-life professional your questions, to save you the hassle.

Karen Currie

We’re all about finding our besties, so this month, we asked Astrologer Karen Currie, from Stars & Signs, about whether the stars really can influence our friendships. 👀

Is there such a thing as Sign compatibility?

“Absolutely — and it’s called Synastry. But it’s more than just your Star Sign (or Sun Sign) — we each have entire Birth Charts that are unique to us! There’s your Rising Sign and Moon Sign, and all other placements in your chart. A quick way to check compatibility is by looking at the Elements in both of your Charts, and how they interact. Fire and Air Signs, being fast-moving and dynamic, tend to harmonise well, making collaboration effortless, but Water and Earth Signs are more sensitive and move at a slower pace, so they can understand each other's energies more easily. And if you mix contrasting elements, like Fire and Water — well, that could lead to some frustrating differences — too fast for one and too slow for the other!”

Does Synastry work for platonic relationships, like friendships?

“Definitely, yes! Understanding the Astrological dynamics of any type of relationship can provide valuable insights into the similarities and differences in your personalities. Perhaps you share a similar communication style, like both having Mercury in a chatty Air Sign. Or you might connect on a more sentimental level, with your Moons ruled by Water Signs, so you seek connection through similar emotional needs.”

What should I look for in my Chart for friendships?

“As a traditional Astrologer, I explore the placements within your 3rd and 11th Houses to reveal insights into the dynamics of your friendships, as well as your all-important Rising Sign. This can show what you’re like as a friend, how important friendships are to you, whether it’s easy (or more challenging) for you to maintain friendships, and what you seek in those relationships. There are so many nuances!”

We asked our community...

Q: Do you believe in star sign compatibility? Poll results: 65% nope, 35% yes.

Karen says: ”Most people think Star Sign compatibility is just based on their Sun Sign, which isn’t enough to tell us how we get on with other people — or much of anything, really! You might be surprised how much detail there really is to your whole Birth Chart. If you’re curious, all you need is your time, place, and date of birth, and you can use a website like Astro.com (one of my favorites) to see your Birth Chart in all its glory.”

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This edition of The Leak was brought to you by Phoebe Corcoran, Tassia Agatowski, Katie Millington, Lucia Schiaffino Martinez, Hannah Hastings, and Henry Gibbons. 🫶

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