By Janet Coin On a weekday morning in Seoul, a young professional finishes a Pilates session before heading to work. Later that evening, she stops at a wellness store for a functional drink and a product designed around a specific health need. Before bed, she sets aside her phone and prepares for sleep. None of these actions feels unusual. They are simply part of her routine. This is the changing face of wellness in South Korea. The country that introduced the world to K-beauty is moving beyond skincare and cosmetics towards a broader culture of wellbeing. Beauty remains important, but it increasingly sits alongside nutrition, fitness, mental health, sleep, preventive care and recovery. For Korean women, particularly younger women and working professionals, wellness is becoming less about occasional pampering and more about maintaining the whole self. From K-Beauty to K-Wellness South Korea’s global beauty influence has long been associated with…
From Marrakech to Modern Homes: The Moroccan Design Elements Taking Over Interiors
Laura Jones Step into a traditional riad in Marrakech and the first thing you notice is not how much furniture fills the space, but how effortlessly everything feels connected. Sunlight filters through an arched doorway, patterned tiles catch the light, a brass lantern creates a warm glow, and handmade textiles bring softness to the room. Nothing feels rushed or overly polished. The beauty comes from the balance between craftsmanship, texture, colour and simplicity. That distinctive atmosphere is increasingly finding its way into modern homes around the world. Moroccan design, rooted in centuries of craftsmanship and cultural exchange, is being reinterpreted for contemporary interiors that value warmth, character and authenticity. Why Moroccan Design Remains Timeless Moroccan interiors have never depended on passing trends. Their appeal comes from traditional materials, handmade details and a strong relationship between architecture and everyday living. From Marrakech riads to homes in Casablanca and Fez, Moroccan design…
A Spotlight on the Kenyan Women You Don’t See on the Front Page
By Blossom Ukoha What if the most important stories about Kenyan women are not the ones making tomorrow morning’s headlines? Open a Kenyan newspaper and the familiar names are easy to find: politicians, business leaders, celebrities and the personalities at the centre of the latest national controversy. But beyond the political drama and celebrity spotlight, thousands of Kenyan women are doing work that may never become front-page news—developing health research, protecting wildlife, responding to climate change, building technology, advancing disability inclusion and strengthening communities. Their influence is often quiet, but its consequences are not. From laboratories and farms to classrooms, rangelands and policy rooms, these women are helping solve some of Kenya’s most difficult problems. They may not dominate the headlines, but they are helping shape the country Kenya will become. Women Changing the Conversation Around Science At the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme in Kilifi, Prof. Dorcas Kamuya has built…
Arunma Oteh: The Woman Who Sat at the World Bank’s Top Table
By Blossom Ukoha On 23 January 2025, Arunma Oteh stood at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, to launch All Hands on Deck, the book she wrote about how world-class capital markets can help nations, companies and individuals create lasting prosperity. The occasion was part of a two-day celebration of her 60th birthday, which she marked on 24 January. It was a fitting setting for a woman whose career has been defined by capital, institutions and economic development. From Nigeria’s financial markets to the African Development Bank, from the Securities and Exchange Commission to the World Bank Treasury, Oteh has spent decades operating at some of the most consequential levels of African and international finance. Yet her journey to those rooms began without a powerful title. It began with a young Nigerian woman choosing computer science at a time when relatively few women were entering the field and developing the…
8 Cash-Flow Mistakes That Can Kill a Woman-Owned Business in Year One
“Never take your eyes off the cash flow because it’s the lifeblood of business.” — Sir Richard Branson What happens when a woman builds a promising business, wins customers and generates revenue—but still does not have enough cash to pay the bills? For many women entrepreneurs, this is not simply an accounting problem. It can determine whether a promising venture survives long enough to grow. Women are launching businesses across technology, finance, retail, professional services, agriculture, healthcare and the creative economy. Yet starting a business is only the first step. The ability to manage cash between earning revenue and paying expenses can determine whether that business remains viable. About one in five new U.S. private-sector businesses closes within its first year, according to analyses of Bureau of Labor Statistics data. By the fifth year, roughly half have closed. Meanwhile, the frequently cited U.S. Bank research has estimated that cash-flow problems…
The Burnout Trap: Female Leaders Are Learning That Slowing Down Is a Leadership Strength
By Janet Coin “What is expected of leaders is judgment, not sheer stamina.” — Arianna Huffington, Founder and CEO of Thrive Global For years, women have been taught that strong leadership means enduring more, doing more and carrying more. But as burnout continues to affect women in senior positions at disproportionately high rates, a different understanding of leadership is emerging. Increasingly, female executives, entrepreneurs, political leaders and professionals are recognising that slowing down is not necessarily a sign of weakness or reduced ambition. It can be a deliberate strategy for protecting judgement, creativity, wellbeing and long-term impact. The shift is significant because women have traditionally faced a unique combination of professional and personal expectations. They are often expected to excel in their careers while also carrying substantial responsibilities at home and providing emotional support to colleagues, teams and families. As conversations around workplace wellbeing become more prominent, women are beginning…
Celebrating the Extraordinary Life of Dolly Parton: 8 Things to Know About the Woman Behind the Legend
By Blossom Ukoha What happens when a girl born into poverty refuses to let her circumstances define the size of her dreams? For Dolly Rebecca Parton, the answer was extraordinary. She became one of the world’s most beloved entertainers, a prolific songwriter, a shrewd entrepreneur and a philanthropist whose generosity reached millions. Born on January 19, 1946, in a one-room cabin in Locust Ridge, near Pittman Center, Tennessee, Dolly was the fourth of 12 children in a poor Appalachian farming family. Her father, Robert Lee Parton, was a tobacco farmer who could not read or write, while her mother, Avie Lee, filled the home with traditional ballads and hymns. There was little money, but there was music. And from those humble beginnings, Dolly built a remarkable life that stretched across music, film, business and philanthropy. Dolly died on August 25, 2026, at the age of 80, in Nashville, Tennessee, following…