We’re back with our Equality Now Feminist Culture Club, bringing you a round up of recommendations from our staff and supporters of books, movies, TV shows, and podcasts that act as a megaphone for women’s rights.
Books
White Feminism by Koa Beck
Addressing today’s conversation about race, empowerment, and inclusion in America, Koa Beck, writer and former editor-in-chief of Jezebel, boldly covers the history of feminism, from the true mission of the suffragists to the rise of corporate feminism with clear-eyed scrutiny and meticulous detail. She also examines overlooked communities—including Native American, Muslim, transgender, and more—and their ongoing struggles for social change.
Years of Struggle. The Women’s Movement in Jordan by Rana Husseini
This book documents the activism work of women in Jordan since the 1940s. It explores the tactics that women activists used to achieve many of their demands over the years as well as exploring their failures and future aspirations. The author is an internationally recognized human rights activist, gender trainer and a senior journalist with more than 25 years experience in the Middle East and North Africa.
The Soul of a Woman by Isabel Allende
“When I say that I was a feminist in kindergarten, I am not exaggerating,” begins the great Chilean writer Isabel Allende. As a child, she watched her mother taking care of their monoparental family, providing for her three small children without “resources or voice.” Isabel became a fierce and defiant little girl, determined to fight for the life her mother couldn’t have. This book is a reflection of all the women in her life, along with lessons learned related to work that still needs to be done.
Films
On the outskirts of N’Djamena in Chad, Amina lives alone with her only 15-year-old daughter Maria. Her already fragile world collapses the day she discovers that her daughter is pregnant. The teenager does not want this pregnancy. In a country where abortion is not only condemned by religion, but also by law, Amina finds herself facing a battle that seems lost in advance.
Iron-willed in the face of cultural and familial pressures, a courageous young Afghan woman forces her father to stand trial for years of sexual abuse—and exposes a sexist justice system and the plight of women at its mercy.
TV Shows
After fleeing an abusive relationship, a young mother finds a job cleaning houses as she fights to provide for her child and build them a better future. The TV show exposes a system that is not prepared to help or provide assistance. It is based on the book “Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive” by Stephanie Land, a firsthand experience narrated by the author.
The eight-episode series reveals the true story of a young woman who told the police she was raped. They told her she made it up. Two female detectives investigate a spate of eerily similar attacks and follow evidence that could reveal the truth. Unbelievable uncover the legal system that was supposed to protect her. It was inspired by the Pulitzer Prize-winning article, “An Unbelievable Story of Rape,” written by T. Christian Miller and Ken Armstrong.
Podcasts & Music
Intersectionality Matters! is a podcast hosted by Kimberlé Crenshaw, an American civil rights advocate and a leading scholar of critical race theory. The episodes feature names such as Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza and Pulitzer-Prize Winning author Viet Thanh Nguyen and other prominent authors and leaders.
This is a podcast based on the photo series Cheer Up Luv, which is a campaign that Eliza Hatch started in 2017, dedicated to retelling stories of sexual harassment. She interviews artists, activists, and creatives about their work. They discuss submitted stories of sexual harassment to dismantle myths and challenge things that have become normalized.
Do you have any suggestions for us to share next month? Do send them over to supporters@equalitynow.org. We’d love to hear from you!
Achieving gender equality will happen faster if everyone takes up the challenge. Equality Now is proud to stand with No nonsense in our shared commitment to enduring, inclusive equality for women & girls.