Update: We updated this slideshow in honor of the upcoming International Women's Day. Two new female presidents have recently been elected — in Estonia and Switzerland.

Update (November 15, 2016): As we all know by now, Hillary Clinton fell short in her bid to become the first woman to serve as president of the United States. If elected, she would have joined a small club of female world leaders; just 16 women are currently elected heads or government or state worldwide, according to UN Women. Ahead, an updated look at those women in power across the globe.

The following story was originally published on March 8, 2016.

The world is made up of close to 200 countries. Fewer than 20 are led by a woman who was elected to the role.

Many nations, including the United States, have never voted a woman into their highest office. As it stands today, 17 women are serving in elected head of state or head of government roles, according to UN Women's count. And it's not just heads of state and government that fall short in a count of women in power. On average, 22% of seats in parliaments worldwide were filled by women as of last year.

While the numbers have improved in recent decades — the percentage of women in parliaments nearly doubled between 1995 and 2015, according to UN Women — the world still has a long way to go before the makeup of political bodies and leadership reflects the population as a whole.

"We need to speed up," Begona Lasagabaster, chief of the leadership and governance section for UN Women, told Refinery29. "It’s painfully slow."

Greater representation by women in political office "reflects the reality of a society," and, more importantly, sparks discussion and policies that promote gender equality across government and society as a whole, Lasagabaster said.

"The fact that we are talking, we are raising and presenting different things obliges men to think about these issues," she said. "[Women] bring their reality, their different nature of thinking, but in the end, they [also] oblige the institution [to change.]"

Lasagabaster knows firsthand the impact that getting more women involved in politics can make. When she was elected to the Spanish Parliament in 1996, she estimates that fewer than 20% of the seats were held by women. By the time she left office 12 years later, they made up nearly a third of the body.

“You could see the difference, you could feel the difference," she recalled. "The fact that we had a critical mass meant we were talking about things that maybe we wouldn't think about [without female members of parliament], like [tax rates] of basic hygiene products of women."

There are many barriers keeping more women from being elected worldwide. Support and interest from political parties, media, funders, and the population at large can be difficult to secure. In some places, female candidates are targeted with threats and violence. And election systems like the one here in the U.S. can create tough paths to victory for female politicians.

"It’s very hard for women to break through in that electoral system that pits candidate against candidate, especially when the electorate might be biased and not vote for women or have perspectives around the role of women in politics which disadvantage them," Julie Ballington, UN Women's policy advisor on political participation, told Refinery29.

Some institutional efforts aimed at getting more women in office, including quotas or commitments to gender equality embraced by post-conflict countries as they reshape their political systems, have helped. But even countries that have made strides in electing female candidates sometimes suffer setbacks.

“It’s a continued battle to sustain the numbers and to increase them, as well," Ballington said.

Still, there have been some bright spots. The Marshall Islands, for example, elected its first female leader in history earlier this year. And, should Hillary Clinton win the Democratic nomination, the United States could have its first real shot at putting a woman in the White House later this year.

Ahead, a look at the 17 women currently serving as an elected head of state or head of government. Check back for updates when more progress is made in the push for gender parity in politics worldwide.

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Some things in this world are just made for each other. Like mac and cheese. Or Barack and Michelle. And, of course, face masks and wine. Even if you only have a drugstore jar of clay and a bottle of Barefoot Sauvignon Blanc, the combination is enough to make your Tuesday night so much more luxurious. You might be thinking, Hey, isn’t alcohol bad for your skin? Three rights make a left, but one wrong and one right just cancel each other out. Okay, yes, but we live by the motto of "everything in moderation." Maybe don't down the whole box of Franzia, then attempt a magnetic-mask number; just channel Oprah and live your best life.

Ahead, we put together a special wine-and-mask pairing menu for you to pull out on nights in. Whoever said beauty is pain clearly never tried this.

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The fashion advertising industry knows controversy, good and bad. We highlight their wins — i.e. using different models or new-wave celebrities in progressive and game-changing campaigns — and we report on their lows, like Saint Laurent's latest campaign, which features thin models in a couple of rather compromising positions, wearing little to no clothing. If that sounds about right to you, then you're familiar with how marketing works. Or, you're wise enough to know that sex is still a selling point for European fashion houses. But Parisians aren't having it.

In several tweets under the hashtag '#YSLRetireTaPubDegradante ', which translates to 'YSL, Remove Your Degrading Ad,' users call upon the label to take down its latest advertisements. The ads, which come from designer Anthony Vaccarello's debut collection for the brand, feature one model in between the two states of sitting with her legs open and crossed, wearing roller skate heels, with her bottom facing the camera. Another sees a model hunched over a stool, in the same roller skate heels, with no pants on.

If you consider the history of Saint Laurent's advertisements, and Europe's laissez-faire attitude toward sexuality and how to incorporate it into an image, the spots may not seem all that out of place. But, longstanding fans of the brand are comparing it with advertisements of the label's Golden Era, the era of Yves Saint Laurent. In one tweet, a user compares a YSL ad from 1967 to the controversial ad today, pointing out the 50-year differences between how the company represents women. The '60s saw the invention of Yves Saint Laurent's iconic 'Le Smoking ' suit, and the accompanying advertisements (included in the tweet) became somewhat like posters for Paris' second-wave feminism movement.

50 ans séparent ces photos
La femme selon @YSL 1967 - 2017 #ShameOnYou #YSLRetireTaPubDegradante @anthonyvacc
cc @Min_FEDDF @MinistereCC pic.twitter.com/Ca9MsaNsRJ

— Merete Buljo (@MereteBuljo) March 4, 2017

And then there's the ARPP, the French advertising self-regulatory organization, which wants the images gone A.S.A.P. "We asked the brand and the ad displayer to make changes to these visuals as soon as possible," said ARPP director Stephane Martin to Reuters. Adding that the thinness of the models was also of grave concern, Martin says the advertisements are a serious breach of industry-set rules that hold labels like Saint Laurent accountable for the "dignity and respect in the representation of the person." (In 2015, the label was also in hot water when its ads featuring model Kiki Willem came under fire for similar reasons.)

We've reached out to Saint Laurent for comment and will update this post when we hear back.

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Today, Chrissy Teigen opened up about her experience with postpartum depression and anxiety in an essay for Glamour magazine that's equal parts raw and powerful. She describes feeling depleted, never hungry, just plain unhappy, and in constant physical pain after her daughter Luna's birth — all with the Chrissy candor that makes us obsessed with her in the first place.

Thankfully, Teigen eventually saw a doctor who was able to diagnose her, which was a relief, but the months before that hurt, physically and emotionally, she says. "Getting out of bed to get to set on time was painful," Teigen writes. "My lower back throbbed; my ­shoulders — even my wrists — hurt." One symptom of PPD is feeling physical aches and pains — like stomach aches, headaches, or muscle and back pain — and it's also a symptom of anxiety and depression. Mental tension can lead you to be physically tense, too, says Catherine Monk, PhD, Associate Professor of Medical Psychology (in Psychiatry and Obstetrics and Gynecology) at Columbia University. "Over time, that tenseness could cause a back ache or overall tension and discomfort," Dr. Monk says.

There's also some evidence that your immune system isn't properly regulated when you're depressed, so you could feel achy like you have the flu, she says. And hormones can play a big part, because your stress hormones can't regulate either — which makes your body more alert and strained, like you're in a "chronic fight or flight" scenario, Dr. Monk says. Some new moms are used to being able to work out and get a good amount of sleep — and then, suddenly, they aren't, so there's a "change in relief" that contributes to depression, she says.

Teigen describes going in circles with doctors and specialists at the hospital, like she "was in an episode of Grey's Anatomy," just to figure out why she was in so much physical pain. "Maybe it was a kidney infection? No one could figure it out," she says. "I saw rheumatoid doctors for the wrist pain; we thought it might be rheumatoid arthritis. I felt nauseated all the time, so I saw a GI doctor. I wondered: Am I making this all up? Is this pain even real anymore? " Only later, when Teigen says she was diagnosed with postpartum depression and anxiety, did she make the link that her physical pain was caused by her anxiety. "Unfortunately, when medical health providers are treating women during pregnancy or postpartum, there's so much pressure to focus on the baby's physical health, not how [the mother] feels," Dr. Monk says. "What's hard to get [doctors] to ask about is their mind and brain, rather than their body."

Grey day ballet

A post shared by chrissy teigen (@chrissyteigen) on Jan 2, 2017 at 10:50am PST

Between 70 and 80% of women feel negative feelings or mood swings (a.k.a. the "baby blues") after they give birth, which can make it tough to pinpoint postpartum depression. Up to one in seven women experience postpartum depression, according to the American Psychological Association, but Teigen says she felt like there was a stigma just mentioning the word "depression." Postpartum depression also manifests in completely different ways depending on the person, so the symptoms can be all over the place.

In most cases, depression is treated through behavioral interventions, like mindfulness practices and therapy, Dr. Monk says. Medication can be the best option in severe cases, she adds, and Teigen mentions starting an antidepressant in her essay. "Given that a woman is in good physical health, mindful walks, yoga, pilates, and swimming can help ease the body as well as the psychological mental problem," Dr. Monk says, adding that massage, acupuncture, and saunas can help, too.

Teigen's essay is powerful because it shows that anyone can feel down, even if they seem totally fine — and feeling down can be a total mind/body experience. "This is a really good example of how we all should be thinking about a person's mind and body together — particularly with obstetrics and pediatrics, the experts that have most contact with women," Dr. Monk says. "They, too, can ask about mental health, as well as whether [their patients] can move around with their C-section scar."

As for Teigen, she tweeted today that talking about her depression has made people ask how she's doing. Let that be your cue to not hesitate to ask the new moms in your life how they're feeling — both physically and emotionally.

If you are experiencing postpartum depression, please call the Postpartum Support Helpline.

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Get ready to have a new song stuck in your head. Pitbull, master crafter of earworms, is about to unleash a new tune unto the world. The song, "Hey Ma," is on the soundtrack for The Fate of the Furious, the eighth installment in the car-racing movie franchise that just can't seem to die. In the catchy tune, Pitbull teams with ex-Fifth Harmony member Camila Cabello and Colombian singer and rapper J Balvin. Only that wasn't the original plan. In a new interview with Radio.com, Mr. 305 explains the detour that the song took and who was originally on the track.

Mr. International told Radio.com that the first version of the song actually featured Britney Spears and Romeo Santos. In fact, the team behind Fast and the Furious loved it. Until a new version got recorded, that is. Looks like there was just more magic in the high-octane recording from Cabello and Balvin, who shared a preview of the track on Instagram.

FAST Squad 🚓⛽🚨 HEY MA! #F8 @pitbull @camila_cabello somos la banda sonora oficial de FATE OF THE FURIOS sound track !!

A post shared by J Balvin (@jbalvin) on Feb 24, 2017 at 5:07pm PST

"Funny story behind that," Pitbull told Radio.com. "At first, it was me and Romeo Santos, Britney Spears was on the record. [The] Fast and Furious [team] ends up loving the record. And they brought on board J Balvin and Camila Cabello. So, it's been an interesting journey. To watch it go on to become the intro to the movie — the first huge movie franchise to shoot in Cuba — is an amazing honor."

How did Spears take the news? There was no diva hissy fit. Instead, she was 100% professional and even suggested that her vocals be part of a remix. Two versions of this scorcher? Count us in.

"It was an honor to be able to work with Britney. She was a great sport, she’s been in the business for years," Pitbull explained. "She said, 'Don't even worry about that. We'll use it for the remix, or we'll do another record together.'"

Spears' reaction only goes to show what a consummate professional she is. And if fans are getting two tunes out of it, it's all for the better.

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If you consider yourself a romantic, you likely get weepy over Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) and Rebecca's (Mandy Moore) sweet scenes on This Is Us. If you're someone who adores cheesy romance flicks, then you likely sobbed for days over another Mandy Moore venture: A Walk To Remember. The latter stars Moore as Jamie, a "good girl" who decides to live life to the fullest after she learns she has terminal cancer. "Living life to the fullest" includes a whirlwind romance with reformed "bad boy" Landon (Shane West), who stops being an asshat long enough to give Jamie the best (and last) years of her life. Both A Walk To Remember and This Is Us have sad endings to their respective love stories: while Jamie dies in the Sparks adaptation, it's Jack who passes away on This Is Us. (Though exactly how he dies remains a mystery.) Now fans think there's yet another connection between the NBC series and the romantic drama.

Redditor Caitywaity noticed that This Is Us may have borrowed a line of dialogue from the 2002 movie. They point out that in the episode "Jack Pearson's Son," Rebecca tries to calm Jack down by saying "You're acting like a crazy person, what's going on?" Caitywaity noticed that Moore said the very same line of dialogue — in a very similar way — during a scene opposite West's Landon in A Walk To Remember. You can check out the scene from the movie below. (Swooning over Landon and Jamie optional, but expected.)

The dialogue isn't exactly super specific, but it's definitely possible that the show wanted to insert a wink to fans of Moore's famous movie — after all, only diehard fans will notice this specific line.

There's also another reason why the connection may not be a coincidence: This Is Us may have included the Walk To Remember line in celebration of the film's 15th anniversary. Moore and West actually got together with the film's director Adam Shankman to celebrate the milestone back in January. The This Is Us line would only be a few weeks behind the film's anniversary — the movie hit theaters on January 25, 2002, while the episode "Jack Pearson's Son" aired on February 14th, 2007.

This Is Us and A Walk To Remember will forever be bonded by Moore and the fact that both have made us cry way too many times. Here's hoping the writers of This Is Us really did play homage to the tearjerker that came before it: it's only fitting.

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Unless you live in a world in which you get to wake up next to a mega-talented hairstylist every morning (hey, dreams really do come true for some lucky ones), chances are your S.O. has little to say about your snip decisions. And you likely plan your big haircuts around what you, and you alone, want.

But not actress Jenna Dewan-Tatum (and one-half of reigning Cutest Couple in the World). When she debuted an undeniably cool angled lob late last year, we thought she was merely jumping on the L.A. trend train. Turns out, she got the motivation from an unlikely source: her husband, Channing Tatum. Jenna told PeopleStyle in a recent interview that Channing had been encouraging her to chop her hair off for quite some time — a welcome response, especially if you've ever asked the age-old "should I or shouldn't I?" question we all pose to our friends, family, dry cleaner, that 0ne rep at the Sephora counter...

"He’s the opposite of most men," she told the publication. "Most men like long hair, but he thought it would be a really good idea [for me] to go short. So he was excited. He was like, ‘You finally did it!'"

Obviously, Channing isn't the only reason she got the cut — her daughter played a role, too. Like most of us, she wanted something that was easier to style because she doesn't have time for anything more. Welcome to the club.

"I still to this day haven’t actually done my hair, unless I have some sort of event or meeting," she said. "I tell everyone who cuts my hair, ‘You need to cut it in a way that I can shower and go because I will not do myself, I don’t have time.’ So it just works. It’s a lot easier to manage."

So, she now has more time to spend staring at Channing? Sounds good to us.

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When the Little Women franchise first started in 2014 with its L.A. installment, I didn’t think that it would stand the test of time. Three years later, I’ve been proven sorely wrong by the reality show that follows the lives of women with dwarfism. It’s still going strong, with season 6 currently underway. Installments in Atlanta, New York, and most recently, Dallas, have cropped up. Terra Jolé, who led the L.A. cast, enjoyed multiple seasons of her own spin-off called Terra’s Little Family. She was a also a contestant on season 23 of Dancing with the Stars. The franchise has proven to be a hit for Lifetime.

I’ve watched scattered episodes of each iteration of the series here and there. My best friend actually forced me to watch the entire second season of Little Women: Atlanta. Part of the reason I was apprehensive about the show’s success is because I don’t trust an industry that consistently prioritizes a narrow margin of beauty to do right by women who fall outside that margin in any capacity. Surprisingly, the show doesn’t focus exclusively on the women’s heights — at least not explicitly. Like any other reality show, Little Women gets the meat of its content from the friendships and relationship drama amongst the cast. We get to see them as mothers, daughters, sisters, and lovers.

But there is still something to be said for the fact that these little women simply being normal is a spectacle in itself. After all, that’s the premise of the show. I don’t get the sense that I’m being forced to watch the entertainment equivalent of medical exams that I may have experienced if the show was on TLC a different network. But the way the cameras on Little Women manage to catch the quizzical stares of bystanders when the women congregate in public spaces, or how they linger a little too long on one of them struggling to get onto a floatation device or motorcycle during a day of relaxation feels like a small push into some weird exhibitionist territory.

And then in webosphere there are memes like this one that layers hoe-shaming on top of ridiculing Amanda and Andrea Salinas, who are known on the urban circuit as twerk performers. It’s these moments that make me feel like a bystander in an exploitative situation. And that's not really my thing.

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There is a positive trend in the air — a sense that paradigms are shifting and women are rising up and awakening. Evidence of this includes the 5 million people who participated in the historic Women’s March (both in the U.S. and around the world), and the unprecedented number of women signing up to run for office. Women are energized, engaged, and activated.

This International Women’s Day, March 8th, is an opportunity to build on that momentum and solidarity and encourage women to do what this year’s theme proclaims: Be Bold for Change. Even though women have made economic, political, and social strides over the years, there continue to be enormous inequities and challenges that remain for women nationally and globally. Shockingly, in many parts of the world today, girls and women continue to lack economic opportunity, adequate health care and education, and suffer horrific abuses such as child marriage, female genital mutilation, femicide, trafficking, honor killings, and other atrocities. In the U.S. and internationally, women continue to experience many varied forms of oppression, discrimination and violence. (According to the UN, 1 in 3 women across the globe will experience physical or sexual violence in her lifetime.)

As I spotlighted in the interviews I conducted for my book What Will it Take to Make a Woman President? Conversations About Women, Leadership & Power, and in my new online platform, What Will It Take, women are glaringly underrepresented in positions of leadership across all sectors, whether it’s in politics, the corporate world, the media, or other areas. And in terms of women’s political representation worldwide, the U.S. ranks an embarrassing 104th place in terms of women in national legislatures. Though women are over half the population, we are not adequately represented at the tables of influence where critical decisions are being made. It took years of struggle for women to finally get the right to vote in 1920. How long and what will it take for women to reach full economic, social, and political equality?

The global community is becoming increasingly aware that we will clearly need women’s voices and visions to solve the host of problems facing our planet, and that empowering girls and women is interconnected with other important issues and helps the whole of humanity. Because this isn’t just about women’s equality but also about ensuring diversity of perspective and a reflective democracy. And as men increasingly stand alongside us as they did at the Women’s March, there is a reframing that these are not just "women’s issues" — they are human issues — and that the status of women is intersectional with other forms of oppression. This sense of alignment with men and other marginalized communities is vital to forming a more authentic, effective and powerful movement — one that takes a strong stand for equality, love, and tolerance for all people.

As a freelance journalist and author, I have had the privilege of interviewing some of the world's most renowned and influential women. To celebrate International Women’s Day, I want to share this collection of some of their insights in the hope that their calls to action and wisdom will inspire us to “be bold for change.”

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We know Tarte as the eco-friendly brand that combines its ingredient-conscious mission with seriously glam packaging. Our first love was its Amazonian clay foundations, which are lightweight, medium-coverage, and didn't feel cake-y on skin. Since then, the company has launched an array of colorful, highly pigmented products — like those dreamy Color Splash Lipsticks, the strobe cream Tarteist™ PRO glow liquid highlighter, and its best-selling Shape Tape concealer (which is also getting a huge collection expansion) — that have earned Tarte its cult status among makeup fans. Now, the brand is making its way into an yet another category: hair.

We’re not surprised to see Tarte making moves in the beauty industry. (Okay, so we didn't exactly see the hair thing coming.) This summer, the company launched an entire line of makeup inspired the athleisure trend, proving that you can actually look chic while working up a sweat. It’s only natural, then, that Tarte just dropped yet another major post-gym staple: dry shampoo. Even if we never make it to that barre class we’ve been swearing we’d try for months, we still use dry shampoo for second-day hair on the regular. Not only does it add texture, it also sops up oil and gives our roots a boost when we're too tired to hop in the shower.

But here’s the best part: The one from Tarte doesn’t feel powdery. You can run your hands through your hair and not feel like there is major product build-up. And it’ll doesn't leave the telltale white chalk that other formulas do, either. This residue-free dry shampoo was formulated to blend into any hair color and prevent a dry scalp. You better believe we'll be stocking up on these vibrant bottles ASAP, which are available on the brand's website now. We suggest you do the same, because this offer is limited edition — and we have a hunch it won't be available for long.

Tarte Hair Goals Dry Shampoo, $19, available at Tarte.

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Republican congressman Jason Chaffetz has not had a good year, what with getting yelled at by his angry Utah constituents and posting the most classless Instagram about Hillary Clinton we've ever seen (and we've seen it all). But he just keeps on getting himself into hot water.

CNN reports  that when the House Oversight Committee chairman appeared on the network's New Day, he said he wants lower-income Americans to have more access to health coverage.

"But access for lower-income Americans doesn't equal coverage," pointed out co-host Alisyn Camerota.

"Well, we're getting rid of the individual mandate. We're getting rid of those things that people said that they don't want," Chaffetz responded. "Americans have choices, and they've got to make a choice. So rather than getting that new iPhone that they just love and want to go spend hundreds of dollars on that, maybe they should invest in their own health care."

Stop right there. Jason Chaffetz, are you actually telling lower-income people how to spend their own money? On top of the indignity of being stripped of their health care with the looming repeal of the Affordable Care Act, now they're being told how to budget by a politician who hasn't exactly earned their trust?

Predictably, Chaffetz was criticized on social media.

The iPhone bullshit is Reagan's Cadillac welfare queen canard for the new age. That's what Chaffetz is doing.

— Imani Gandy (@AngryBlackLady) March 7, 2017

Chaffetz says we gotta choose between an iPhone and Healthcare? Why can't we choose between Healthcare and Trump playin' golf?

— Tea Pain (@TeaPainUSA) March 7, 2017

Jason Chaffetz doesn't know:
•What healthcare costs
•What an iPhone costs
•Anything

Oh, wait I forgot to make this a poll.

— Schooley (@Rschooley) March 7, 2017

Jason Chaffetz, selling my iPhone would not pay $31K healthcare bills last year. Thanks for the suggestion. 🙄#Trumpcare

— Strange Times (@rob13567) March 7, 2017

Indiana Republican congressman Larry Bucshon also rebuked Chaffetz's comments. "We don't want people to make choices in their life having to choose health care and leaving out other parts of their life that everyone else enjoys," Bucshon said on CNN Newsroom.

Later today, Chaffetz tried to clarify his statement.

"What we're trying to say — and maybe I didn't say it as smoothly as I possibly could — but people need to make a conscious choice and I believe in self-reliance," he said on Fox News' America's Newsroom. "And they're going to have to make those decisions." Easy for you to say, guy with a net worth of almost $800,000.

After many years of criticizing the Affordable Care Act, House Republicans finally introduced a replacement bill yesterday. The American Health Care Act would scrap Obamacare's individual mandate and replace it with refundable tax credits for people to purchase health insurance. The bill would also defund Planned Parenthood. The new plan is expected to leave millions who were insured with Obamacare without coverage, which may hurt its chances of being passed — oh, and the Republicans are still unsure how to fund it.

Two things we know: 1. Health care costs a hell of a lot more than an iPhone. 2. The angry people at town halls are about to get even angrier.

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Golden Globe-nominated actor Lily Collins is releasing a book of personal essays today. Titled Unfiltered: No Shame, No Regrets, Just Me, it includes plenty of personal stories and reflections on body image, self-confidence, family, the travails of dating, and much more. Vanity Fair reports that tucked in Unfiltered is an open letter to her dad, Phil Collins. Lily uses the letter as an opportunity to "forgive" her father for falling short of her expectations and what she thought a dad should be.

"I forgive you for not always being there when I needed and for not being the dad I expected," she wrote, according to the Daily Mail. "I forgive the mistakes you made. And although it may seem like it's too late, it's not. There's still so much time to move forward."

Lily's mother, Jill Tavelman, was Phil Collins' second wife. While rumors indicated that Phil broke up with Tavelman via fax, he's vehemently denied it. In her letter, Lily writes that her parents' divorce, as well as Phil's subsequent divorce with Lily's stepmother, Orianne Cevey, hit her hard and that she may have developed anorexia and bulimia to cope.

"I couldn't handle the pain and confusion surrounding my dad's divorce, and I was having a hard time balancing being a teenager with pursuing two different grown-up careers," she added. "Many of my deepest insecurities stem from these issues with my dad."

She concluded the letter by forgiving her father and acknowledging that it was time for both of to move forward together. It's a powerful sentiment, and goes to show that sometimes, writing down your feelings and facing them head-on may be the best way to work through them.

"We all make choices and, although I don't excuse some of yours, at the end of the day we can't rewrite the past. I’m learning how to accept your actions and vocalize how they made me feel," she wrote. "I accept and honor the sadness and anger I felt toward the things you did or didn't do, did, or didn't give me."

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This story was originally published on December 17, 2015.

Out with the old, in with the new. As the end of the year rolls around, now is a better time than any to get rid of the closet-space wasters that have been taking up way too much room in your wardrobe. We're talking sorority tank tops leftover from field day, sweaters that have seen too many freezing cold days, and designer heels that are pretty much impossible to wear in. Sure, they may have some hefty nostalgic value, but if they're not being worn, they're just occupying precious real estate.

Since spring cleaning is still months away, we're taking the new year as the perfect excuse to give our wardrobes a refresh — not by adding new things, but by eliminating the old and unnecessary. Ahead, we've rounded up 30 of those pieces, from the party dress you swore you'd wear eventually (but didn't) to the clutch that may be cute (but is super impractical), to help you identify the ones that need to go.

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The Christmas after I came out to my mom, I opened up the gayest gift I've ever gotten: a rainbow bracelet, a rainbow peace sign pin, and a rainbow flag pin.

She looked over at me after I opened up the gift and said, "I thought you could use some rainbow stuff."

And my eyes might have teared up a little. Maybe it was a little bit cheesy, but giving me that rainbow-filled package was also a simple and sweet way for her to show me how OK she was with me being a lesbian.

Turns out, my mom isn't the only parent to have this idea. Nev Sotelo, a 15-year-old girl from Fort Worth, Texas, got a similar gift from her dad after she came out to him, BuzzFeed reports.

“I came out as lesbian October 21, 2015. It was really hard for me because I wasn’t too sure how much of my family would be accepting,” she told BuzzFeed. “After coming out, my dad has been one of my biggest supporters.”

A couple of days ago, Nev's father bought her a rainbow umbrella to show his support.

"How adorable is it that my dad goes above and beyond to show that he accepts me," she wrote in a tweet about the gift.

And the writing on the umbrella puts the gift over the top. "Be you. Be true. Be Awesome," it says.

“I bought it for her because I know at her age it’s hard to be accepted in this cruel world we live in and not one moment do I want my daughter to forget that her dad loves her no matter what,” her dad, Robert, told BuzzFeed.

Cue the waterworks.

We're not the only ones crying. Nev's Twitter followers are all over this adorable tweet about her dad. And they all feel pretty much the same way we feel...overcome with emotion.

@nvstlo pic.twitter.com/6p3nPgxQso

— p (@denimskrrt) March 3, 2017

my chest https://t.co/a2WhnpYoeX

— baby spice🎱 (@SK8TER_G1RL) March 3, 2017

this made me cry 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 https://t.co/JvyU8ORPHe

— Victor Madero (@iconvic_) March 3, 2017

Some shared how lucky Nev is to have a supportive family, which not every LGBTQ teen has. And she couldn't be more grateful for her dad.

“My dad is a strong believer in equality, as am I," she told BuzzFeed. “He definitely is brave. He’s not afraid to speak up about things either.”

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There was a lot going on in last night's episode of The Bachelor. We bore witness to Rachel Lindsay's inevitable departure, Corinne's turn on "Women Tell All," and Raven Gates maybe sort of finally having an orgasm with a lover. With all that hubbub, it would have been easy to miss this tiny detail: Rachel Lindsay handed a note to Raven Gates on her way out the door. How do we know this? Gates herself tweeted about it.

@TheRachLindsay handed me this. This was the most beautiful note I've ever received. She's the greatest friend there is. #TheBachelor https://t.co/f85hDSMjHt

— Raven (@ravengates09) March 7, 2017

Gates' tweet was actually in response to an astute Twitter user who took a screenshot of the note. Below, you can see the Hoxie native gripping the note (as well as that highly desired rose).

Even though I probably won't get a response-can someone tell me what's up with this note?!? #TheBachelor @ravengates09 @BachelorABC pic.twitter.com/2GKWQw6rYQ

— Brooklyn (@bnizzlegirl) March 7, 2017

Here's what we know about the note: It's the most beautiful note Gates has ever received. Lindsay passed it to her immediately following the least dramatic rose ceremony in history. (Now that we know Rachel Lindsay will be the next Bachelorette, we didn't expect her to stay much longer.) When Chris Harrison gave his customary "say your goodbyes speech," Lindsay hugged her fellow contestants. Apparently, when she did so, she passed a note to Gates.

What could the note possibly say? We have a few theories.

1. "Dear Raven, get out while you can."

Given Nick Viall's penchant for dumping perfect women, it's possible Lindsay tossed Gates a quick warning.

2. "I bought you a vibrator. It's in your room."

We know that Gates's ex-boyfriend never made her orgasm. Now, we don't know what that means about Gates's personal sex life. It's entirely possible that she's given herself a lovely "O." But something tells us she doesn't own a vibrator. Lindsay, being a good friend, could have purchased Gates the sex toy as a courtesy.

3. "Raven, I'm still confused about Memento."

Because they watched it together in the house — making a supposition here — and Lindsay didn't get it because the film enjoys some classic mindfuckery.

4. "I'm going to be the Bachelorette and I need you to know that."

Here's a fun conspiracy theory: Did Rachel Lindsay know she was going to be the Bachelorette before she left The Bachelor? According to a segment on the Afterbuzz TV AfterShow, a producer told a personal shopper (who appeared on the podcast) that the franchise knew Lindsay would be the Bachelorette before they knew Viall would be the Bachelor. If this is true, then the note becomes very intriguing. Did Lindsay tell the rest of the girls about it? Did Gates know? Our minds are spinning.

5. "Dear Raven, I love you. I will miss you."

Most likely, Lindsay wrote a sweet goodbye note to her dear friend. One thing that routinely warms my heart about this show is how close the contestants become. The friendships always seem genuine, and that's the real love story right there.

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If stirrups and a speculum aren't your idea of fun, we have good news. Apparently, the annual pelvic exam might not be all that necessary after all — for women who aren't pregnant and who have no symptoms of disease, at least.

On Tuesday the journal of the American Medical Association, JAMA, posted a recommendation statement that said that while a pelvic exam is usually a part of your physical exam, it's unclear whether performing these exams yearly really has any benefits (or drawbacks, for that matter).

Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, MD, PhD, MAS, who chaired the the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force panel to evaluate advice on pelvic exams, told NPR that there wasn't solid evidence one way or another.

"We basically concluded that we didn't have enough evidence to recommend for or against," she said.

Without that evidence, the panel advised that each woman checks with her doctor on whether or not they need an exam each year, taking into account her medical history, age, and other factors. Typically, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends the exam annually for women 21 and older. But in 2014, the American College of Physicians sent out its own guidelines, arguing that such exams might not accurately detect ovarian cancer.

A pelvic exam, usually performed by an OB-GYN, checks the overall health of your reproductive system, as well as checking for cervical cancer with a pap smear. In 2013, it was found that pap smears might not be necessary every year, either.

While the federal recommendation still stands, Bobbins-Domingo told NPR that it comes down to each individual person and their body.

"If a woman has concern about anything going on with her body she should absolutely schedule a visit with her doctor, and doctors should do the appropriate exams to understand symptoms," she said.

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To be a Dalit, or an untouchable person, means being the lowest of the low in some caste-based societies.

These communities in South Asia face segregation and extreme marginalization in everything, from access to education to economic rights. They're even denied the opportunity to step into a place of worship.

In India alone, there are about 170 million Dalits, about 17% of the population, according to the National Coalition of Dalit Human Rights (NCDHR). And these caste-based social structures extend to places like Sri Lanka and Nepal, too.

Photographer Sara Hylton traveled to all three of these countries hoping to capture a slice of Dalit women's lives — the inequality they face and how they survive, but also, their hopes and dreams.

Hylton told Refinery29 she did a lot of research about the system and on specific castes in the region to prepare herself, though she's worked in the South Asia region for almost seven years. The project was commissioned by Refinery29, with the support of the NCDHR, the Sri Lanka-based Human Development Organization, and Adam Smith International in Nepal.

Her portraits are as beautiful as they are heartbreaking; an intimate look at the challenges these women face.

"Regardless of the country, the state, or the caste, they all spoke of physical or emotional abuse either by upper caste members or government authorities. The 'theme' in the way they talked about their lives was often around the issues that maintain their repression: Landlessness, segregation, being denied access to water, education, and employment," she said. "The majority of them wished to feel safe, have a home, and create a better future for their children, but most were unable to articulate how this might happen."

But Hylton cautioned against approaching these stories from a privileged point of view and believing that we may have the solution to the problems that affect these communities.

"I am very conscious about the 'white savior' concept and believe wholeheartedly in the power of storytelling alone as a tool for education and awareness," Hylton said. "I don’t profess to have any answers to these issues or to be any more advanced than these women. In fact I think in many ways the women I met are far more advanced than many of my female counterparts who are educated professionals."

These women are strong daughters, sisters, mothers, and grandmothers that champion their communities and want to provide a better world for the generations that will come after them.

"Despite the harshness of their reality, the image of the lotus often comes to me when I think of these women. The lotus, arguably one of the most beautiful flowers, emerges from deep, dirty, and murky waters – [it flourishes] despite harsh surroundings," Hylton said. "These women are like lotuses: They endure with grace, resilience, and dignity."

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It's impossible to picture anyone other than Emma Watson playing Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter films. And if these outtakes are any indication, Warner Bros. definitely made the right choice.

Watson appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! last night, and the host had a surprise in store for the actress. Kimmel showed the audience a Harry Potter outtake — one in which you can see a young Watson mouthing Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint's lines.

"You're helping them with their lines!" Kimmel said to Watson.

"You laugh — this is actually quite traumatic for me, because I created issues because of this," Watson told Kimmel. "I would ruin takes. Chris would be like, 'Cut. Emma, you're doing it again. You're mouthing Dan's lines.'"

She also admitted that the Harry Potter books were "a huge part" of her childhood life. It makes sense, then, that she'd be a bit overeager when filming scenes. "I couldn't help myself," she said. "I was such a loser, I really loved those books, I really wanted to do my job well, and I kind of overdid it."

Watson might say she "ruined" things, but I bet the producers would disagree. Saying other peoples' lines is totally something Hermione would do — Watson was just getting into character. (Plus, Watson was just nine when the Harry Potter film franchise started, so she really shouldn't be too hard on herself.)

Watson also agreed with Kimmel that her experience playing Hermione was anything but typical. "No one goes for the first audition they've ever been to in their entire life and then makes those movies for over a decade," Watson told the host. "That doesn't happen to people."

If anyone deserved the lucky break, though, it's Watson. Check out the adorable clip below.

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You might think that life as the Bachelor is one big, ego-stroking fantasy...and, well, you might be right. Not only does the lucky guy get to hole up in a mansion to find his ~one true love~ while making out with 20 people along the way, he also gets national exposure, which lends itself to some lucrative business opportunities. Not bad, right?

But the best perks, in our minds, are reserved for the Bachelorettes, who often get chosen to continue their quest for "prince charming" after experiencing unceremonious (and televised) heartbreak on The Bachelor. Not only do they get their choice of at least two dozen potential partners, they're also given their own hairstylist, makeup artist, and stylist this time around, and a chance to right their beauty wrongs from previous seasons. Because nothing will perfect your contour better than seeing it under harsh lighting on national TV.

While we're still waiting with bated breath for Rachel Lindsay 's rose photos (we have a feeling she'll go bold with a red lip — she does it so well), scroll on to see how the other women transformed between their stints on The Bachelor to The Bachelorette. Brace yourself for a whole lot of self-tanner.

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Ed Sheeran has always been pretty boring to me — that is until I read his Rolling Stone interview this week.

The seemingly innocent British singer has had quite the career glow-up from boozy party boy to head-over-heels-in-love adult pop star. And he has the stories to prove it. But before we get into his hot gossip on waking up in bed with Taylor Swift's friends, we have to talk about one extremely off-putting quote said by Katy Perry. The 32-year-old singer has been quite unfiltered lately, dissing Britney Spears and providing uncomfortable red carpet moments, but this subtle insult may be her most damning comment yet.

Somewhere in the middle of the long, but interesting, Sheeran cover story, there's a quote from Perry about Sheeran's love life. (He currently is in a committed relationship with his former high school friend and classmate, Cherry Seabourn — he's implied that the two plan on getting married and having kids in the near future.)

Perry, who recently ended her relationship with actor Orlando Bloom, told the publication why she thinks Sheeran has been such a successful ladies man: "Everybody loves him, no one's scared of him, they want to date him. They can have him." Let's break this down. Everybody loves him — that's sweet. No one's scared of him — a solid compliment. They want to date him — nice. They can have him — excuse me? "Have him?" To me, this reads as "While he's a catch, the girls know they are better than him so he's a safe bet," which is... so fucking rude.

If a male pop star said this about a female counterpart, there would be hell to pay. To diminish a person to the idea of being had and possessed is problematic, no matter who is saying it and whether they mean it as a insult or not. In the interview, Sheeran openly talks about his insecurities and how he struggled to deal with them (often times by getting drunk after a show), so this comment feels extremely insensitive coming from Perry, a "friend." Perry really needs to considering thinking before she talks.

Beyond that, the rest of the interview is pretty fun. We pulled out the most shocking and interesting tidbits from the long profile, spelling them out for you below.

He used to hook up with Swift’s squad (and then regret it).

"I was this 22-year-old awkward British kid going on tour with the biggest artist in America, who has all these famous mates. It was very easy. … I would often find myself in situations just kind of waking up and looking over and being like, 'How the fuck did that happen?' "

He thinks Swift is the most famous woman in the world.

"She's omnipresent because she's the most famous woman in the world, so she can't make the decision to not be in the press. I always stick up for Taylor."

He drinks every single day.

"Often, I'm like, 'Is it bad that I drink almost every single day?' And then I look at my friends and most of them do the same. And they're actually worse than me. The first thing Americans say is, 'There's a problem, and you need to go to rehab.' But I don't wake up and drink. I don't depend on drink. I can go without it completely. I just enjoy going out and having fun, being 25. And I think that's a normal thing."

He has a gross signature drink (with white tequila).

"Five shots of that, and one shot of passion-fruit juice, please. Put the tequila on ice, and then let it sit for a bit. And then pour it over ice into the juice, then shake it." (The reporter confirms that he drinks more than one during their meal together.)

He says Justin Bieber is "very sober."

"He's in a very good place – very sober, very present. There's been a 180 that's happened, and there's no diva behavior whatsoever. It really suits him."

He doesn't use a smartphone.

He had an iPad and a flip phone. He's also not big on social media.

He has movies in his future.

"I want to have one in my career," he said, referencing an appearance in a low-budget indie film, like Once.

He’s in the process of forming the next One Direction.

Of the potential group he describes the sound as: “Superpop, but obviously credible. I'm gonna put three or four boys together and do all the songs, take them on the stadium tour with me."

He doesn't want his "celebrity status" to become his reality.

"It's awesome meeting famous people. But that's not life. That's not reality. One day this will fucking end. And I know the one person that's going to remain constant is Cherry. I should just enjoy this while it's there, but not let it become my reality. Because that's not the reality I want to live in."

He and his super social girlfriend spend a lot of time together and even have a secret handshake.

"One of the main points of being in a relationship with me... you have to be really fucking sociable and good at talking to people, because I will be dragged away loads at parties and events. And Cherry's perfect at it. She makes friends with everyone."

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