Name: Joana da Silva's review of Everyday Sexism by Laura Bates
Item: Everyday Sexism
Rating: 4
Author: Joana da Silva

Laura Bates

'If Caitlin Moran's How To Be A Woman is the fun-filled manual for female survival in the 21st century, everyday sexism is its more politicised sister' (Independent on Sunday). After experiencing a series of escalating sexist incidents, Laura Bates started the everyday sexism project and has gone on to write 'a pioneering analysis of modern day misogyny' (Telegraph). After an astounding response from the wide range of stories that came pouring in from all over the world, the project quickly became one of the biggest social media success stories of the internet. From being harassed and wolf-whistled at on the street, to discrimination in the workplace and serious sexual assault, it is clear that sexism had become normalised. But Bates inspires women to lead a real change and writes this 'extremely powerful book that could, and should, win hearts and minds right across the spectrum' (Financial Times). Often shocking, sometimes amusing and always poignant, everyday sexism is a protest against inequality and a manifesto for change. It's 'a game-changing book, a must-read for every woman' (Cosmopolitan). 'Admirable and culturally transferable. "A storm is coming," writes Bates. After reading this book you'll hope so' (Independent). Welcome to the fourth wave of feminism.

Everyday Sexism

Are you #ShoutingBack? After experiencing a series of escalating sexist incidents, Laura Bates, an award-winning journalist, started a project called 'everyday sexism' to raise the profile of these previously untold stories. Astounded by the response she received and the wide range of stories that came pouring in from all over the world, she quickly realised that the situation was far worse than she'd initially thought. Enough was enough. From being harassed and wolf-whistled at on the street, to discrimination in the workplace and serious sexual assault, it was clear that sexism had become normalised. Bates decided it was time for women to lead a real change. Bold, jaunty but always intelligent, everyday sexism is a protest against inequality that provides a unique window into the vibrant movement sparked by this juggernaut of stories - often shocking, sometimes amusing and always poignant. With an Introduction by Sarah Brown, this book is a manifesto for change; a ground breaking, anecdotal examination of sexism in modern day society. Welcome to the fourth wave of feminism.

Maia 

Mitch Stewart

Joana da Silva

Reading this book should be mandatory for everybody. Although it focuses mainly on the UK perspective, the examples shown are recurring ones everywhere. This book will make you want to act up on EVERY single little case of sexism you witness (as you should tbh).

Cover
I really like the cover. So many different voices about different topics. But one thing unites them: everyday sexism.

Review
It seemed really well researched to me. Lots of topics, professional voices but your everyday woman’s too. Of course it is based on UK research but (sadly) it applies to every woman out there, I’d say.

It may open your eyes, confirm your feelings about situations you think are not right but get told again and again to stop being so whiney.

Mia Kern

When I was around 10, I was out to eat at a Buffet with some family friends. An older man stopped me and my friend and asked to take a photo of us. We didn't know what was happening or how to say no, so we just let him. To this day I wonder what's become of that photo of two young, Asian-American girls. Was it just some jack off material for that one guy? Or has it been circling the webs, seen by countless other creepy men? For the longest time, I felt guilty about this. How could I let something so stupid happen? But, no, the onus should have been on  him  and on  the bystanders  for doing something like this, or letting it happen.

I'm giving this book four stars, as I'll discuss later, but I want to be clear that it's nothing to do with the content of the book. This book is so. important. The cover has a quote from Cosmopolitan (UK) that says it's "a must-read for every woman." Wrong, I think this should be a  must-read for everyone, period.  At the very least, the voices and the stories of women sharing their countless experiences of harassment, sexism, and assault should be known and accepted. This book might not be for everyone, but the message should be.

I say that because, despite its importance, I found the book to be frustrating and lacking at times. The chapters are DENSE, and not just due to the heavy subject material. In my opinion, what contributed to this was that the chapters were often poorly organized. Although the 12 chapters are categorized well, the chapters themselves could get a little messy. Bates would start by, say, talking about harassment, then jump into assault, then into media messages, then back to assault, then continue on with the media. It made reading each section a bit disjointed. There were, of course, overlaps between the chapters, which makes complete sense. I just wish that it'd been a little easier to navigate. 

My other gripe was that I felt that Bates sometimes self-inserted too much. This is personal opinion, of course, as she could be pretty humorous, but I didn't need a page long sarcastic rant to understand that the examples were grossly misogynistic. Lastly, much of the book centers around sexual harassment and assault and, let me be clear, I think these are  incredibly important  topics to cover in depth. BUT, I felt like, in doing so, Bates spent a significantly less amount of time dissecting other aspects of sexism. Messages that the media is sending. The pressure females feel to look and act a certain way. Societal expectations that push women into certain careers and out of others. Don't get me wrong, all of these topics were covered, but I felt like they could have been done better justice.

(Also, just me being nitpicky, the actual size and binding of the book made it physically difficult to keep open while reading and that just added to my frustration).

 It's a bit like recycling - it's something every single person can make an active, practical contribution to, starting today, if they choose. But just like recycling, a few well-meaning people going all out and doing everything in their power to make it work won't make a jot of difference overall if everybody else carries on shrugging their shoulders and tossing the milk carton into the bin.

The Everyday Sexism Project was founded by writer and activist Laura Bates in April 2012. It began life as a website where people could share their experiences of daily, normalized sexism, from street harassment to workplace discrimination to sexual assault and rape. The Project became a viral sensation, attracting international press attention from The New York Times to French Glamour, Grazia South Africa, to the Times of India and support from celebrities such as Rose McGowan, Amanda Palmer, Mara Wilson, Ashley Judd, James Corden, Simon Pegg, and many others. The project has now collected over 100,000 testimonies from people around the world and launched new branches in 25 countries worldwide. The project has been credited with helping to spark a new wave of feminism.

Inga Kühn 

"Around the world, women are dying because of men's ideas about what they should and shouldn't be allowed to do with their own bodies."

Die Realität ist schockierend, besonders, wenn man sich einmal auf solche gesammelte Weise damit beschäftigt. Im Alltag ist viel normal, was es nicht sein sollte, was alarmieren sollte. 
Enough is enough. 

Ich stimme dem Zitat der cosmopolitan auf dem Cover nicht zu. Ich finde, dieses Buch sollte nicht nur von allen Frauen gelesen werden, es ist zwar ein Start, aber dann beschäftigen sich wieder nur die Opfer des Problems damit. Ich bin der Meinung, dass es eine gute Idee wäre, wenn jeder Mensch sich mit diesem Buch und den Inhalten befassen müsste.

Rose Stanley

I think the final chapter is why this book is described as "empowering" because most of it is more "enraging". Essential reading, and rereading. Check out https://everydaysexism.com/ also.

Elena Garcia Navarro

"Enough is enough."

This book is powerful, eye-opening and challenging in so many ways. It makes you realize all the little injustices and sexism towards women that we do not realize anymore because are so ingrained in our culture they become 'normal'. But they need to be noticed and they need to be changed. Basically now I want to pick up every feminist read I stumble upon and educate myself further on the topic. Don't let all the statistics from the book discourage you, it's a worth read and totally necessary for EVERYBODY, men and women.

'If Caitlin Moran's How To Be A Womanis the fun-filled manual for female survival in the 21st century, everyday sexism is its more politicised sister' (Independent on Sunday). After experiencing a series of escalating sexist incidents, Laura Bates started theeveryday sexism projectand has gone on to write 'a pioneering analysis of modern day misogyny' (Telegraph). After an astounding response from the wide range of stories that came pouring in from all over the world, the project quickly became one of the biggest social media success stories of the internet. From being harassed and wolf-whistled at on the street, to discrimination in the workplace and serious sexual assault, it is clear that sexism had become normalised. But Bates inspires women to lead a real change and writes this 'extremely powerful book that could, and should, win hearts and minds right across the spectrum' (Financial Times). Often shocking, sometimes amusing and always poignant, everyday sexism is a protest against inequality and a manifesto for change. It's 'a game-changing book, a must-read for every woman' (Cosmopolitan). 'Admirable and culturally transferable. "A storm is coming," writes Bates. After reading this book you'll hope so' (Independent).Welcome to the fourth wave of feminism.

Mariana Afonso

Incredible. A Call to Action. This is a MUST-READ - for real, READ IT! Read it if you're a girl and want to understand why some things are said and done to you; read it if you're a woman and you want to find solace in other's experiences; read it if you're a boy and you're starting to feel pressured to act "in a the typical masculine way", as some men say to excuse their behaviour; read this if you're a man and you need to see how deeply enshrined in our society sexism is; put simply, read this.

Matter of factly, things have evolved since 2013, when the book was written. And that makes me happy - not happy, but glad that some change has happened. But not all the change needed. 7 years passed and rape, sexual assault, domestic violence, call-outs on the street have not significantly diminished, or erased. 

We keep on being treated as objects to be called upon, touched without consent; treated as means to reproduce and only that, without the right to a personality; keep on being disbeliefed while the perpetrators are excused and not judically charged.

With Chapter 12,  Women Under Threat , I felt a wave of indignation, outrage and shock flow through me. I had tears in my eyes. Not that I was surprised but all those violent stories at once broke my hope, my heart. I never experienced something so severe myself, but I am hurt too - for the girls and women who suffered sexual assault and/or rape, for the ones who couldn't find a way to live with the trauma, for the ones who are trying to recover from it, for those who never find justice; for every girl yet to grow up in this awful sexist and patriarchal society. For myself, for my fear, for all of us: I am hurt.

May the change come. For it is most needed.

Special Hardcover Library Edition The Everyday Sexism Project was founded by writer and activist Laura Bates in April 2012. It began life as a website where people could share their experiences of daily, normalized sexism, from street harassment to workplace discrimination to sexual assault and rape. The Project became a viral sensation, attracting international press attention from The New York Times to French Glamour, Grazia South Africa, to the Times of India and support from celebrities such as Rose McGowan, Amanda Palmer, Mara Wilson, Ashley Judd, James Corden, Simon Pegg, and many others. The project has now collected over 100,000 testimonies from people around the world and launched new branches in 25 countries worldwide. The project has been credited with helping to spark a new wave of feminism.

Justin

A while ago, I came across a list of books to "improve your understanding of the world around you". This book needs to be a part of that list for every man. It strikes a solid balance between providing a visceral window into the sexism women experience and discussing the underlying dynamics.

Mitch Stewart &
Everyday Sexism by Laura Bates

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