Your favourite articles of the year
Including: Adolescence 👏 Boys only olympics ⛷️ Health signs to look out for 👩⚕️
A lot has happened this year and there isn’t much The Female Lead hasn’t covered. In this special issue of Take the Lead, we look back at the stories, voices and insights that you really loved from 2025.
It’s been a powerful year of amplifying women’s truths across our pillars: society, self, health, relationships, work and money.
So many of you were shocked by Anna Malacinski’s story of being a professional skier in the only olympic sport women can’t compete in. And you engaged deeply with our feature The sentence in Adolescence that broke me as a parent — a piece that still feels timely as Adolescence has received multiple nominations ahead of the 2026 Golden Globe Awards.
Our health and wellbeing pieces — from I saw a rare health condition on TikTok. It turns out I had it to What are the early signs of womb cancer and how is it treated? — created conversations that matter.
We also launched RISE, our educational newsletter which helps teachers, parents and guardians prepare the next generation for a more equal world.
Thank you for being part of our 2025 journey. Your curiosity, compassion and commitment help us continue our important work — from groundbreaking research to supporting girls in schools, and producing content that uplifts women around the world.
If you’re able, please consider becoming a paid supporter for a monthly donation of £3.50 / $4 — it makes a real difference.
Here are the stories from 2025 that you loved the most.
The Female Lead Team
SOCIETY
SELF
HEALTH
RELATIONSHIPS
WORK
MONEY
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