Empowerment, liberation, choice. Once the watchwords of feminism, these terms have now been co-opted by a society that sells women an airbrushed, highly sexualised and increasingly narrow vision of femininity. While the opportunities available to women may have expanded, the ambitions of many young girls are in reality limited by a culture that sees women's sexual allure as their only passport to success. At the same time we are encouraged to believe that the inequality we observe all around us is born of innate biological differences rather than social factors. Drawing on a wealth of research and personal interviews, Natasha Walter, author of the groundbreaking THE NEW FEMINISM and one of Britain's most incisive cultural commentators, gives us a straight-talking, passionate and important book that makes us look afresh at women and girls, at sexism and femininity, today.
Over the last number of years I can't help noticing how my clothing choices have become less and less varied. That the pink in toy shops and childrens clothing stores have become more and more invasive. How strangely focused the marketing is on women wanting pink and nothing else (and sometimes substandard pink too, with a side order of guilt because of the linked breast cancer marketing stuff).
When I was growing up I was aware of some barriers to being equal, I was a bit of a tom boy and tended to be happier in a pair of trousers (how I griped about school uniform skirt and cheered when some places allowed trousers for girls) than a skirt - which is largely how I have remained.
However, this book has reminded me that there is a creeping sexism on it's way back. An objectification of women that's actually quite disturbing and makes me quite uncomfortable, but I'm often dismissed for voicing it. By this repeated dismissal I think is making people question their discomfort. Women, after all, have been largely eductated to "not make a fuss", so the constant reinforcement of belittling can be hard to overcome.
And many of us are tired of fighting, this reminds me that we need to keep fighting for equality and that I'm not just making a fuss for no reason. After all "If you tolerate this, then your children will be next"
Reading updates
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Started reading
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2 June, 2010:
Finished reading
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2 June, 2010:
Reviewed