“Women are silenced by both the invisibility and the acceptability of the problem.”
Begun as a website for women to share their experiences, the Everyday Sexism Project gave a space to millions of women's voices. Using the huge volume of stories collected as research, Laura Bates' book organizes the data into a coherent argument that sexism is an invisible but pervasive problem. 
Beginning with how children are taught to follow certain gender roles, Bates clearly lays out the connection between gender stereotypes and discrimination. In particular, she shows the double standard that girls and women are faced with when it comes to academic and professional workplaces. Many of the testaments are disturbing, and even more of them occur so frequently that women have stopped considering them as problematic. In laying out all the different ways that women are subjected to sexism, Bates  helps to create a better picture of the real problems that result from sexism.
Everyday Sexism is clearly laid out with plenty of statistics and testaments to support its claims. An easy to read introduction into gender inequality, this is a must read for anyone looking to learn more about feminism and the need for social change.

This title is available from the Library.

By Rebekah W

1. Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge
A great introduction into the history of racism and how it works in modern day society, with a focus on intersectionality.

2. Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
A first-hand account of living as a black man in a racist world, Coates' experience as a writer makes these essasy profoundly moving.

3. Don't Touch My Hair by Emma Dabiri
Using the history of black hair, Dabiri breaks down racist stereotypes and explains how they came about. Her particular attention to racism in Ireland makes it essential reading.

4. The Master's Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master's House by Audre Lorde
This seminal essay breaks down how power structures work and advocates for working together to create a world in which all can flourish. A tough but rewarding read.

5. Nobody Knows My Name by James Baldwin
Baldwin's essays are a meditation on what it means to be black in America, and his words are more relevant now than ever.

Feminism is the belief that everybody should be treated as equal, no matter what they are or who they love. It is as simple and as complicated as that. Sadly, there are many people in our world whose lives are made more difficult because of who they are - women, people of colour, the LGBTQ+ community etc. The challenges they face come from many directions -e.g.  laws and policies built to oppress them, dangerous gender stereotypes, social norms and practices, media (mis)representation... There is a lot to overcome. These problems are not limited to specific societies - they are present across the globe. The #MeToo movement shed light on the terror that many women have lived through. The summer of 2020 saw the mass protests to declare that Black Lives Matter. LGBTQ+ murders are still disproportionately high. And it does not make for pleasant thinking but, as James Baldwin said, “not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”  
​At its best, feminism fights for social justice for all. That means understanding the struggles of others, and working together to raise everyone. Thankfully, there are numerous writers and activists to help us to learn about social injustice and its root causes. For a great introduction, Reni Eddo-Lodge's bestseller Why I'm No Longer Talking To White People About Race is a must read. Well researched, and written with clarity, the book covers everything from the history of slavery in the U.K. to modern day feminism and its challenges. Eddo-Lodge advocates for an intersectional feminism that includes people with disabilities, those living below the poverty line, and anyone whose quality of life is directly affected by biased social structures. She echoes the then radical views of poet and activist Audre Lorde. For those wishing to read about how politics is designed to protect those at the top, Lorde's collection of essays Sister, Outsider makes for incredible reading. Her work is not to be missed for those looking to educate themselves on the issues of women and people of colour. Likewise, James Baldwin is a voice that echoes from the past to speak to the present (Nobody Knows My Name, Notes of a Native Son). His experience of Black America in the 1950s and 60s eerily mirrors that of modern day men like Ta-Nehisi Coates (Between the World and Me) and Ibram X. Kendi (How To Be an Anti-Racist). Closer to home, Irish writer Emma Dabiri exposes the issue of racism in Ireland in her explosive book Don't Touch My Hair. For more specific discourse on Feminism, founder of the Everyday Sexism Project Laura Bates' Everyday Sexism and Rebecca Solnit's Men Explain Things to Me ​are great places to start. 
These are but a small taste of the resources now available. It is past time when we can close our eyes and pretend that we do not know about the injustice in our world. The explosion of social media has seen to that. The best thing we can do is to educate ourselves on the issues, and help where we can. 
​"Divide and Conquer must become Define and Empower" - Audre Lorde