I’m fortunate. I’m the oldest of four girls in a family that embraced my talkative, know-it-all demeanor and fostered my confidence in myself that I can do anything I put my mind to. Surely, I’ve had (and still have) my doubts, but I married a man who is equally supportive of my having a career and fully expects (and is looking forward to) me to be the bread-winner. So, sometimes I have a hard time relating to books about gender discrimination because while I know it’s real and have definitely experienced it in the workplace or an academic setting, I’ve been able to check it at the front door and go about my life at home. Still, the following few reads about gender discrimination were refreshing and I highly recommend them.
Cybersexism: Sex, Gender and Power on the Internet by Laurie Penny
“If you’re a woman and somebody calls you ‘attention seeking’, that’s a sure way to tell you’ve made an impact.”
Cybersexism is a great read about how the misogyny of the “real world” has moved online. This is problematic for several reasons, namely that the Internet is the real world now. She shares her own experiences with being threatened with sexual violence, discusses how the Internet came to mirror the offline world, and offers a glimmer of hope for what the future may hold. At 43 pages, it’s a quick and intense read.
We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
A very short discussion about why women matter, why gender roles are crap, and what it takes to stand up to the male-dominated culture that’s holding us down. My favorite part is her discussion about the difference between women’s rights and human rights, and her frank honesty is like having a bucket of cold water on your face – stings at first but ends up refreshing you.
Bonus reviews:
- The Friend Who Got Away: Twenty Women’s True Life Tales of Friendships that Blew Up, Burned Out or Faded Away by Jenny Offill
- 30 Inspiring Books for Women, by Women